Retrieval
by kawaii.chiisa.neko
Summary: When Team Rocket head honcho, Giovanni, steals Pikachu and Umbreon from Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak, the two must set aside their differences to retrieve their pokemon, and bring down the crime syndicate for good. But their pokemon wont be the only things that will be retrieved on this journey! Palletshipping, rating and summary might change.
1. Chapter 1: Ash sets off!

**_Hello everyone! This is Lili here! This is my first fanfiction and I plan on it being quite a long one, even if no one reads it. Please read & review! I would love to know what everyone thinks! New chapter should be up soon. _**

**_Oh yeah, this chapter is in Ash's POV._**

"Hey Gary! Why does your look eevee weird?" I asked.

"Weird? She's not weird!" He yelled at me.

"Yes she is! She's white; she's not brown like other eevee!" I pointed out, grinning as he called eevee back into her pokeball.

"Well... at least I have a pokemon that listens to me! Unlike you!" he said.

I looked down by my feet where my new pikachu waited. "Well... I'm going to become the greatest pokemon trainer ever! In fact, I'm going to become a pokemon master!" I spat at Gary.

"Sure Ashy-boy. Get a real pokemon first, then we'll talk!" Gary said, looking at pikachu. His spiked yellow and brown ears perked up. Yellow electricity jumped from the red spots on his cheeks.

Gary took a step back. "Hey, Ashy-boy, get that pokemon of yours und-er-con-trol" he managed to say as Pikachu shocked him. I giggled a little.

Gary crashed to the ground when Pikachu stopped. I put on my rubber gloves Mum gave me, and tied a rope around Pikachu. Gary stood up and brushed himself off. "You won't do anything if you can't keep that rat of yours under control!"

That sparked my temper, "You'll see! I'll prove you wrong, Gary! I'm going to be the best pokemon trainer the world has ever seen! Nothing will stop me! Just wait and see!" I said, grabbing the rope that was tied around my new pokemon, and stalked off. Practically dragging the yellow mouse behind me.

"I'll show Gary," I grumbled to myself walking along route one, "I'm going to beat all the gyms and challenge the Elite 4! And when I beat the champion, I will be the Pokemon Champion, and Gary will eat his words!" I stomped my foot down on the ground, it landed on something and I froze.

When I looked down I was stepping on Pikachu's tail, and the yellow mouse pokemon was not happy about that.

It glared at me, starting to store electricity in its cheeks, "Pika-" it said, its voice dripping with anger.

Backing up I said in a scared voice, "Pikachu... Let me start my 3 piece apology by saying that you have a very nice tail-" I didn't get to finish my sentence or my apology because Pikachu let out a very loud, "Pika-chu!" and shocked me with everything it had.

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up in bed with a jolt. Running my hand through my unruly black hair, I felt static. I looked next to the bed to see Pikachu, my best friend and pokemon partner, with a box of eggs his paws and electricity crackling on its red cheeks.

"Hungry, huh?" I said, getting up and stretching as much as I could.

"Cha!" he whined, my sleepy and sluggish pace obviously not good enough for him.

"You could always have Mum cook them for you, she makes eggs way better than I do," I looked over at the clock, it was 6:30 am, "I guess you thought it was time for me to wake up." I said to Pikachu, petting his head. He chirped a little and ran off to find Mum.

I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, the need for a hot shower to wake me up was overwhelming. As I got into the shower, my mind finally started to wake up and I could function like a normal human being again.

My name is Ashton Ketchum, but everyone just calls me Ash. 7 years ago I received my first pokemon from Professor Oak, Pikachu. We weren't always the best of friends, in fact I'm sure the yellow mouse hated my guts when we first started out on our journey; however, after almost dying by a flock of angry Sparrow, we started trusting each other. And since then we've been inseparable.

In these 7 years I have gotten all 32 badges from the 4 regions, and the 4 badges from the Orange Islands. I have beaten their pokemon leagues. And above all I have made some amazing friends along the way, many of them being pokemon. But today is different. Today, after 7 long years of training, I am going to battle the Elite 4. The 4 strongest trainers from all the regions, and Lance the Dragon Master. Many have tried to beat them, but few have succeeded.

Ever since the day I got Pikachu, I swore that I would beat all of them, and become Pokemon Master. All the years of training, has lead up to this moment, and I will not fail.

Getting out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and brushed my teeth. Wiping the steam from the mirror I looked at my face. I hadn't changed much, I still looked like I did when I was a kid.

"Ash! Breakfast is ready!" Mum called from downstairs, "I made your favourite! Chocolate chip waffles with peanut butter!"

My stomach growled, "I'll be down in a minute!" I yelled back. Being allergic to syrup of any kind sucked, until Mum had started making these things. Every time I came back to Pallet I ate these until I got sick.

Walking back to my room, I looked around. Nothing ever changed in here except for the trinkets I brought back with me from the different regions. A Torchic charm that May gave me, a hand-drawn picture of Pikachu and Cindaquil from Tracey, a small pot of lavender from the gym leader Erika, and more were gathered on a shelf that I put up upon finishing my journey in Kanto.

I looked at my clothes that were laying on my bed. They looked like the clothes I always wore when I started training, only slightly bigger. I guess I had gotten taller. Pulling on my clothes remembered back to the day I was supposed to get my starter. I slept in and ran to Professor Oak's lab in my pajamas, only to find out that the regular starters, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, were gone. And all that remained was one unruly Pikachu. I wondered how differently my life would've been if I didn't get Pikachu. But I just brushed the thought off, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

I was pulling on my green fingerless gloves when I remembered my dream. The corners of my mouth pulled up into a small smile. That had happened on the day we got our pokemon.

I looked out the window at the lab, where Gary was probably sleeping right now. Now that we have grown up, we decided to give up the rivalry thing. Agreeing that it was "childish".

"Pi! Pika! Pika!" I heard at the door, I walked over and opened the door an Pikachu bounded in, holding my hat with the green almost-triangle in his mouth. He stood up, handing it to me. When I put it on he made a contented noise, and tugged on my jeans, ushering me to the stairs.

"Okay! Gosh!" I said, laughing, "You're pretty excited today!"

"Pikachu! Pika!" he said, going down the stairs two at a time.

"Good morning Ash! Your breakfast is on the table." Mum said from in the living room.

I sat down at the breakfast nook and dug in yelling back my thanks whilst stuffing my face full of waffle and peanut buttery goodness.

I looked over at Pikachu, who had a plate of eggs in front of him. He was holding a ketchup bottle, trying to put some on his eggs. I took the bottle from him, and put the red sauce on his eggs for him. He then took the bottle from me and placed it on the table next to him.

When I finished my breakfast I cleaned up and grabbed my belt with all my pokemon on it. My team that would help me beat the Elite 4 and Lance.

I walked into the living room where Mum was waiting with a box in her hands.

"What's this?" I asked, looking at the box.

"Well I knew that you wanted to go up against the Elite 4, and I heard how tough they were. Even though I know you're tough, you can always use a little help! So I've been saving up to buy this."

She said, handing over the box.

I looked at it for a second, then undid the silver bow on top, and pulling away the flaps on the box to reveal a golden bag inside. I looked at it puzzled, "What is this?"

"It's a item called Sacred Ash." She said smiling.

"Sacred Ash? Really? Sweet Arceus, Mum! This stuff costs a fortune!" I exclaimed, now taking a lot of care for the tiny bag in my hands.

"Well I didn't do it alone. The whole town pitched in over the years to buy this for you. It actually arrived this morning."

"I-I don't know what to say..." I managed, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I can't believe the whole town did this for me.

"Then don't say anything, sweetie. Just go to the Elite 4 and kick all of their booties!" She exclaimed, putting her fist in the air.

I walked to her and hugged her, "Thank you, Mum. For everything." I said quietly.

She pulled back and kissed my forehead, "You're welcome," She said, "Now, go make me proud!"

I grabbed my rucksack, and called Pikachu. He climbed up onto my shoulder and we headed out.

The cold crisp air of Spring in Pallet town felt good on my overheated skin. I looked at Pikachu, his eyes glowed with determination. I smiled, and jogged to the beginning of Route One. The place where my journey started.


	2. Chapter 2: Gary sets off!

_**Tah-dah! Lili here! Chapter two completed! It's not as good as the last chapter, and I'm not afraid to admit, I kinda half assed it so I could get to the third chapter faster! That's when things start to get interesting! But here is this not so good chapter in the mean time! So remember, R&R, you know what? Share with your friends too! :D I promise, and I swear to Arceus that the next chapter is going to be wicked awesome, so it might take a few days for me to write. Stay tuned!**_

_**This Chapter is in Gary's POV.**_

"Charmander! Use ember!" Someone called.

Suddenly a torrent of embers came flying at me, I narrowly avoided them by dodging to the side and running off.

"You won't get away this time! Charmander follow him!" the trainer called.

"Char!" The pokemon called back, and started running after me.

_What's going on? Why am I being attacked?_ I wondered, running through the tall grass, _And why the hell is this grass so tall? It's over my head for Arceus sake!_

"Char! Charmander!" I heard behind me as embers scorched my back.

My eyes teared up in pain. As I came across a stream and jumped in, easing the pain on my back instantly.

_Ahhh, that feels so good_. I thought, scratching my back with my paw. _Wait.. paw?_

I swam to the bank and looked at my reflection. But it wasn't Gary Oak looking back, it was a purple, buck-toothed ratatta.

_This can't be happening... THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!_ I thought.

"There you are," the trainer said, "Gary," I started running again, "Gary? Gary. Gary! GARY! "

My legs collasped out from under me, and I woke up.

"Gary! Gary Oak! Sweet Mew, how many times do I have to call you for you to wake up?" Gramps said.

I looked up at him from my place on the floor next to my bed, "Sorry, Gramps. What did you say?"

He sighed slightly, "Have you seen my microscope? I think I might make a breakthrough on the vaccine for typitis!"

"Gramps, what's that?" I said sleepily, looking around on my desk for his microscope.

"Gary, do you ever pay attention? Typitis is a pokemon disease that makes it so any special attack can't be used by the pokemon."

"Oh, yeah," I said, giving him the microscope, "Here you go."

"Thanks!" he said, running off to his lab again. I chuckled. My gramps, Aka Professor Oak, always has his nose to the books, always discovering the cure to something. It makes me proud to be his grandson, and his eventual successor.

"Breon?" Umbreon said to me, poking her head in the door to my room, "Umbreon!" She bounded towards me, licking my cheek in a good morning salute.

"Hey girl! Good Morning, are you hungry?" I asked, rubbing behind her black ears.

She stuck her butt in the air and wagged her tail, "Umbreon! Umbreon!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Okay, let me get dressed. Put on a pot of coffee for me will ya'?" I asked.

"Breon." She said nodding her head and trotting downstairs to the kitchen. The blue rings on her legs, ears, and forehead started to glow.

Stretching, I got up from the floor. I looked around my room for some clean clothes, and found a black pair of cargo pants and a long sleeve purple shirt. I laced up my shoes and put on my yellow and green yin yang necklace.

"Skar. Skarmory." said my Skarmory, pecking the back of my hand, and ushering me to the bathroom with her steely wings.

"Okay! Okay! I'll brush my hair!" I said, running my fingers through the auburn mess.

"Mory! Ar!" She said, opening her beak to show her razor sharp teeth.

"What are you my mother?" I said, but when he glared at me I immediately said, "Okay! And my teeth." She was the mother "hen" (so to speak) of my team. She kept everyone in check. Including me.

After brushing my hair and teeth to Skarmory's liking, I went down stairs to the kitchen, where Umbreon was using her Psychic attack to make me a cup of coffee.

"Good girl Umbreon! Pancakes or french toast?" I asked, when the pancake mix started glowing I had my answer, "Gramps! Want some pancakes?"

"Sure! I'll be there in a few minutes." he called from the lab.

In a few minutes, I had enough pancakes to feed all of the pokemon here at the lab. I set half of them outside and called my Arcanine, Glaceon, Blastoise, and Nidoking to eat. Then went back inside where Gramps and Umbreon were already digging into theirs.

"You know Gary, your Umbreon knows how to make a mean cup of coffee!" He laughed.

"Breon!" She said happily from her place on the floor. I bent over to scratch her head.

"She says thanks," I said, "So how's that vaccine coming?"

His eyes lit up, "Well I've tried about 500 different combinations of amino acids, and about 200 of different protein combinations. It seems to me that I'm going to need a different vaccine for every different type! That's 18! Not to mention the combination types. Like little Umbreon! Just a Dark vaccine won't work, but a dark and psychic one should! But I'm going to do the single ones first. Probably water, since it's the most flexible. The DNA strand I was able to extract is GACTA…"

I blocked him out after that. I love Gramps, but the genetics stuff bores the hell out of me. While I may be a pokemon researcher, I prefer to focus on behavior and the pokemon themselves. That's what made being a trainer so great. I got to travel to the four different regions and learn about the different ones. I even discovered a new species once or twice!

Staring out the window, absent-mindedly drinking my coffee, I remembered back to my trainer days. Days of being followed by my fanclub, being cheered on by countless beautiful women; training my little Eevee into the strong Umbreon she is today; catching only the best pokemon, and training them up to what they are now; making fun of Ash.

_Ash... I wonder how he is..._ I thought, ignoring the weird feeling in my chest.

"Hey, Gramps." I said, interrupting his genetic-ee talk, "Have you heard from Ms. Ketchum? How's Ash?"

"Ash? Oh! He's challenging the Elite 4 today! Yes, his mother is very worried about him, but she can't go with him because she already said that she would help me take care of the sick pokemon... I told her she could go and I would get Tracey to help. But she insisted that she did, especially because he's helping Professor Birch."

As he said this my eyes wandered back to the window, where I saw Ash closing the door to his house, looking at Pikachu, and running towards Route One.

I jumped to my feet, "Gramps! Tell Ms. Ketchum that I'll go to the Elite 4 with Ash. So she doesn't have to worry."

"That's a great idea. You can also deliver this Pokefood to Will. He's been nursing a sick Ralts back to health lately, and I think this food has just the right amount of medication in it to get him back on his feet! Here allow me to go get it." He said walking to the lab.

I grabbed by belt of pokeballs, and ran outside. My team was waiting on the back porch, excited. Probably from hearing that we'd be traveling today.

"You guys ready? We might get to do a little battling."

Simultaneous cries of Blastoise, Nidoking, Arcanine, Glaceon, and Skarmory filled the morning air around the lab. Umbreon came up beside me and rubbed her head on my hand.

"Then lets go!" I exclaimed, returning my pokemon to their pokeballs. I walked back inside to see Gramps standing with my rucksack in his hand, and a pokedex in the other.

"Gee, thanks for getting my rucksack ready, Gramps. But I don't need another pokedex. I got one already, remember?" I said, hoping he didn't forget in his old age.

"Oh I know. This isn't a pokedex, this is a new piece of technology called Pokegear. It does the job of a telephone, personal organizer, town map, and radio all in one! I meant to give this to you for your birthday, but it's only a few days away so just take it now." He said handing me my stuff.

I looked at him in shock, he never got me expensive gifts. I didn't know what to say. So I just stared at him wide eyed.

"There is also one here for Ash. I got two of them, one for me and one for you, but I can't figure it out, so give mine to Ash." He put a hand on my shoulder, "Keep him out of trouble," I nodded, "Good! Now, be off. He should be nearing the middle of Route One." Then he walked back into the lab.

"Let's go Umbreon." I said, opening the door and running as fast as I could to Route one. In hopes of catching up to the raven haired boy, with Umbreon by my side.


	3. Chapter 3: Time to Battle!

_**Shawong! Lili here! Chapter three is finally finished! I hope you guys like it! This chapter was origionally longer, so I decided to put three battles into this one, and three into the next! Don't forget to R&R, and share this with your friends! **_

_**This chapter is in Ash's POV.**_

"Let's rest Pikachu," I said, sitting down underneath a tree, "We shouldn't have run so much."

"Pika," Pikachu said, sounding exhausted.

"Well, let's look at the brightside! We're halfway to Viridian City! We should be there in no time." I went into my rucksack and grabbed some cookies, "Want some?"

"Pi!" Pikachu came over to me and took a cookie. He then sat down next to me , and started nibbling on his cookie.

We sat under the tree for a while, eating cookies and just relaxing, when we heard a noise coming from the bushes. Pikachu dropped his cookie and stood in a defensive pose, electricity crackling on his cheeks. I stood behind him, my hand on Noctowl's pokeball.

Suddenly a familiar shiny Umbreon burst through the tree line, with a familiar voice following right behind.

"Umbreon! Where are we going?" the voice said.

"Gary?"

"Pika?"

"Ash? Is that you? Damn it Umbreon! I can't see where I'm going!" Gary said, stumbling through the trees. Umbreon turned back to lead the path out, and within no more than 30 seconds Gary Oak stood in front of me.

"Wha- what are you doing here?" I asked, my mind flustered by his sudden appearance.

"Gramps sent me to find you. Well..." He said, "More like catch up to you." He bent down to pet Pikachu, who was tugging at his pant leg.

"C-catch up to me? Why?" _Why would Professor Oak want Gary to catch up to me?_ I thought.

"He wants me to deliver this Pokefood medicine stuff to Will. You know, the Elite 4 guy. I guess he's nursing a sick Ralts back to health," I nodded, "Yeah, Gramps said this stuff would help. So I had the idea to go with you so I can just drop it off."

"Oh. So you want to come with me?"

"If you don't mind, of course." He said, glancing down at his shoes.

"Y-yeah! I don't mind." I managed to stutter out.

"So I can come?" He said, looking up at me, a small smile playing on his lips.

_He has nice lips. Wait..._ I mentally shook myself_, Why did I just think that about Gary? Come on Ketchum! This is Gary you're talking about! Get your head straight!_

"Yeah." I said stupidly after a few seconds.

"Thanks! Oh! That reminds me, I have something to give you," Gary said, patting his rucksack.

Pikachu gave up trying to get Gary's attention, and went to go greet Umbreon.

"Something for me?" I said. My clammy hands clasped in fists behind my back_. Why am I so nervous? This has never happened before! _I thought to myself.

"Yep," He said, walking over to me, "But there's only one way to get it."

_He's so close, I can feel his breath on my face... he smells like coffee. Why is he so close?_ I thought, heat starting to rise to my face, leaving my cheeks and the tips of my ears burning. _Am I blushing? Why am I blushing!_

"W-what's that?" I asked through my stupor, turning my face away so Gary couldn't see the redness arising on my face.

"Battle me. If more of your pokemon can beat mine, than you get your present. If not... well we'll talk about that later!"

"A battle? Yeah,okay! I can do that," I said, Pikachu ran over to me and climbed onto my shoulder. I put my hand on Noctowl's pokeball.

"Six on six, Ashy-boy. You need at least 4 wins. Think you can manage that?" He asked, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

I turned my hat around, and a few tufts of hair popped out of the hole, "Oh, I know I can." I took Noctowl's pokeball off my belt, pressing the button on the front so it would expand to its full size.

"Don't get cocky Ashy-boy!" he said, removing a pokeball from his belt, "Let's go!"

We both threw our pokeballs in the air at the same time; each ball releasing the the pokemon inside simultaneously.

From my pokeball, my shiny Noctowl was released; and from Gary's his Glaceon.

I laughed, "You like your eeveelutions!"

"That's because they're the best pokemon ever!" He replied, "Glaceon! Use blizzard!"

"Noctowl! Use fly! Fly above the blizzard!" I commanded, watching Noctowl take to the air, flying just out of range of the blizzard that could've ended this battle before it even started, "Good! Now use psychic!"

Noctowl had to fly down into what remained of the storm, his eyes glowing a purplish pink, to attack Glaceon. I watched his feathers get covered in ice, slowing him down.

Just about when he got in the range that his attack could be used, Gary shouted,

"Glaceon! Dig, now!"

Glaceon dug beneath the frozen earth, and disappeared. Noctowl wasn't able to land correctly with all the ice on his wings, and crash landed in the spot that Glaceon was standing.

I pulled out my pokedex and pointed it at Noctowl, his information came up along with his battle status: Frozen.

_Fuck! What are we... Oh!_ "Noctowl! Psycho shift!"

What I like about this attack is that it doesn't look like it does anything, but in battle, it is one of the attacks that can turn a battle around.

"Ha! Glaceon! Dig!" Gary scoffed.

"Glaceon!" the ice pokemon yelled, when she jumped from the ground, unaware of Noctowl's attack. As soon as she made contact with Noctowl, she froze in her steps. Frozen.

I looked at Gary and saw his dumbstruck facial expression, "Use arora beam!" He yelled. A small rainbow coloured beam appeared in the middle of Glaceon's forehead, but didn't get further than that.

"For a pokemon researcher, you're pretty dumb! That move is called Psycho shift, it looks like it does nothing but it passes on the status of my pokemon to yours!" I explained, "Noctowl, shake the ice from your feathers and use hypnosis!"

Noctowl's wings snapped open in a cloud of ice, he shook his body and the rest of the ice came off, casting off rainbows in the sunlight. His eyes turned red, and his head cocked to the side, "Noctowl..." He said quietly, and Glaceon fell over, asleep.

"Good," I said, "Use psychic to lift Glaceon and fly up! Then let her go!" I said. I looked over at Gary, his hand already on his next pokeball, but watching the current match very closely.

Using psychic, Noctowl lifted Glaceon and flew into the air, a still sleeping Glaceon close behind. Once high enough, he lifted Glaceon just a little higher, and released his psychic attack.

I watched as Glaceon plummeted toward the earth, and hit the ground in with a plume of dust.

Clearly defeated, Gary called Glaceon back into her pokeball, "Well played Ash."

"Thanks," I said, "Good job boy! Go rest in the trees for a while, okay?" Noctowl flew off to sit in a tree nearby, picking at his feathers.

"Ready Ashy-boy?" Gary asked, holding his next pokeball.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" I exclaimed.

We threw our pokeballs in the air again, and in a few seconds my Togekiss, and Gary's Arcanine stood in front of us.

Togekiss, noticing that he was no longer in his pokeball, chirped happily and flew over to me, rubbing his face against mine.

"Haha! Hey boy! Ready to battle?" I asked, patting his head.

"Togekiss!" He said, turning around to face his opponent.

"Arcanine! Use extremespeed!" Gary said. Before our eyes Arcanine disappeared from his place in front of Gary. Togekiss floated around, looking for his opponent.

Suddenly Arcanine appeared out of nowhere, ramming into Togekiss and sending him flying.

"Flamethrower, Arcanine!" Gary said.

The dog pokemon opened his jaws, and fire flew from its mouth.

"Quick Togekiss! Aura Sphere!" I yelled. Luckily, Togekiss recovered in time. He used the Aura sphere to create a tunnel through the fire going straight toward him, channeling the fire around his body. "Now, use extrasensory!"

"Kiss! Togekiss!" He exclaimed, the triangles and circles on his body glowing a silver. Arcanine's body suddenly became distorted, jerking from the right to the left, and right again.

Arcanine flinched, I smiled, that's all we needed.

"Metronome!" I said.

(AN: When the expression "Jubilee pokemon" is used, it is referring to Togekiss. That is the species it is!)

"Toge, toge, togekiss!" the jubilee pokemon said, tilting from side to side. The tips of his wings glowed, and a giant eye appeared looking at Arcanine, blinked once, and was gone.

Mean look! That means Arcanine can't move! I thought, about to tell Togekiss what to do next. But Arcanine started to panic, opening its jaws and spewing fire everywhere. Togekiss retreated, flying toward me. As if to shield me from the fire.

"No! Arcanine, stop!" Gary yelled, in an attempt to soothe the frightened pokemon.

"Okay," I said lowly, "Togekiss, circle Arcanine, and when you won't get hit, go in for an air slash attack!"

Togekiss nodded once and flew off. When Arcanine stopped, Togekiss dove to use his attack.

"Fire fang!" Gary commanded.

"Togekiss! Pull up!" I exclaimed. But it was too late.

Arcanine opened his jaws to reveal his teeth, which were now coated in flames. Togekiss tried to pull away, but the dog pokemon bit down on his wing. The jubilee pokemon screamed in pain, as blood dripped from the puncture wounds.

"Togekiss!" I yelled, worried, "M-metronome!"

"Kiss! Toge...Kiss!" The pokemon yelled. His body was covered in a sickly purple goo, and Arcanine let go, spitting.

_That must have been Toxic Armor!_ I realized, _Arcanine is poisoned!_ "Use aura sphere and finish him off!"

Togekiss floated beside the poisoned dog, and summoned a ball of aura. Letting it go when it was at its largest.

"Yeah! Good job, Togekiss!" I said, hugging the pokemon. He chirped again, "Go ahead, go sit with Noctowl. You earned it." Togekiss flew over to where Noctowl was, and started talking to the bird pokemon.

"Hmmm-" Gary said to get my attention, "You have gotten better! But this was just a warm up! Ready?" I nodded and grabbed my next pokeball, as did he, "Lets go!"

In front of us stood my Quilava, an Gary's Nidoking. The fire on Quilava's head and lower back burst to life upon realizing that she was called out to battle.

Gary wasted no time, "Nidoking, earth power," he said simply.

"Nido... King!" The drill pokemon said, jumping up and landing. The ground started shook and split open around my pokemon. The craigs in the earth spewing fire.

With Quilava disoriented, Gary had the chance to attack again, "Toxic."

"Dodge it, Quilava! Then use smoke screen!" Quilava jumped out of the way of the purple smog, and dulled the fires on her back, making smoke, "Good! Now quick attack!"

Quilava started darting around Nidoking, looking for a good point to attack. When she found a spot, she darted forward.

"Horn attack, Nidoking." Gary said.

The drill pokemon turned in the direction of Quilava, and met the quick attack head on with a horn attack. Quilava flew back and hit the ground, red starting to show on her forehead.

"Toxic," Nidoking again sent the purple smog at my pokemon, poisoning it, "Tackle," Gary said cooly.

Nidoking ran forward, tackling my pokemon. Quilava landed at my feet.

"It's okay, girl. You did good! Now rest," I said, petting her back, "Return." In a flash of red light, she was back inside her pokeball.

"Tsk tsk tsk Ashy-boy," Gary said, touching the left side of his nose, "Two more strikes and you're out." He said, calling Nidoking back into his ball, and picking his next one, "Are you ready for round four?"

I reached for my next pokeball, "Ready," I said, gulping.

"Good," he said, as we threw our pokeballs into the air. Ready to start the next battle.

_**Ohhh Ash is nervous! Nidoking made quick work of Quilava! What will be the outcome of the next 3 battles? Stay tuned to find out!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Gary's Resolve

**_*Insert random onomonopia here* Hullo everyone! Lili here with the newest chapter of Retrieval! This is kind of a long chapter, but I managed to write it in a decent time. I don't know when I'm going to upload the new chapter, because I'm going to be working on a fanfic for a contest I'm entering. I might upload it on here, I'm not sure yet. But enjoy this new chapter! Also, I would like to know what you guys would want to see in the upcoming chapters (Maybe I'll include it if I like your idea!) and I will be glad to answer any of your questions. Remember to R&R and share with your friends! _**

**_This chapter is in Gary's POV._**

Our pokeballs flew into the air, and in a flash of red light, my Blastoise, and Ash's Milotic stood before us.

I couldn't help but admire the magnificent pokemon that was about to battle mine. Ash really did a good job raising his pokemon. Most didn't even take the time to try and train feebas. But Ash new it had potential, and stuck by the fish pokemon. Now seeing the end result... I was very impressed. The tender pokemon's scales shone fiercely in the sun, her tail fins perfectly shaped.

"Wow Ashy-boy, the last time I saw Milotic, she was just a wee Feebas," I commented, "She's quite beautiful."

Milotic made a pleased sound, and swished her tail around in the air.

"Thanks Gary. She wasn't the easiest to train, but it was worth it! She's very loyal," He said, his chest swelling with pride, "Ready?"

"Blastoise! Hydropump!" I exclaimed. The cannons on his back lowered to point at Milotic.

"Blas-toise!" The shellfish pokemon exclaimed, letting loose tons of bone crushing water.

"Milotic, surf!" Ash exclaimed, "Use the water from hydropump!"

Milotic waited until the right moment and just as the water was about to hit her, she moved in a quick circle, taking the water with her. When the water was gathered behind her in a giant wave, she sent it back at Blastoise.

Blastoise quickly walked over to me, and turned its back on the wave, planting himself firmly in front of me. The wave crashed at his shell, but flowed around us.

"Good boy." I said.

"Ice beam!" I heard Ash say.

Before I could even tell Blastoise to dodge it, Milotic's ice beam hit his shell, freezing the water gathered there.

When the shellfish pokemon turned around and walked back to where he could fight Milotic, he was slowed significantly.

_Shit... What am I going to do?_ I thought_, with his speed this slow, Ash's Milotic will beat us in no time! Think Gary, think fast!_

And then it dawned on me, "Blastoise, use rain dance! Make the water hot!"

Blastoise pointed his cannons to the sky, and shot water in the sky. When it fell on my skin, I could tell it was hot enough. I looked over at Ash, he had a confused expression on his face.

In a mocking voice I said, "For a trainer, you're pretty dumb!" He glared at me, I chuckled, "I learned this at the Snowpoint gym! The same thing happened there. I had Blastoise heat the water for his rain dance, and then get it on his shell, melting the ice!" I looked over at my pokemon, noting that the ice was completely gone, "Earthquake!"

"Blastoise." He said, stomping his feet on the ground. The earth started to shake violently.

"Milotic, use mirror coat!" Ash said, just as the worst of the earthquake attack hit.

Both Ash and I fell on our asses, as the attack doubled back on my pokemon.

"Recover, Milotic!" Ash exclaimed.

_No! If he does that this will never end!_ I thought. _There is a point in recover that if the pokemon using it is attacked, then the move is useless and the pokemon faints..._

"Blastoise! Skull bash! And quick!"

Blastoise got a running start and pulled inside his shell, increasing his speed. Just as the glowing that surrounded Milotic got brightest, Blastoise popped out of his shell, bashing his forehead into Milotic's. The tender pokemon falling, fainted at Ash's feet.

"Damn it..." Ash said under his breath, slightly panicking now.

"Come on Ashy-boy! Two strikes," I said, calling Blastoise back into his pokeball, "One more and you're out. No present for you." I drew my next pokeball from my belt.

"I WON'T LOSE!" He exclaimed, letting loose his next pokeball. I followed suit.

_Well... this should be interesting..._ I said, looking at my Skarmory and Ash's Shiftry. _Skarmory has a resistance to bug and grass type moves, and is immune to ground type moves... I wonder how Ash is going to cope..._

"Metal sound, Skarmory." I said. Skarmory landed, and lifted her wings, and started scraping them together.

Ash and Shiftry covered their ears. But Ash stomped on the ground three times, and Shiftry dug into the ground.

_What just happened?_ I asked myself genuinely confused. Obviously Skarmory was too, because she stopped what she was doing and took to the air again, looking at Ash.

Ash chuckled, "Shiftry doesn't have the best hearing, so we developed a system that we could use. He can feel vibrations through the ground. Each attack has a different amount of stomps." He explained smiling. Then stomped on the ground 5 times.

Shiftry popped from the ground just in front of Skarmory. His leaf hands glowing a bright blue. As he jumped in the air, he crossed his arms, and as soon as he was in front of the armor bird pokemon, uncrossed them, sending a bright blue "X" at her.

The attack hit her full in the chest. My pokemon squawked angrily.

"Night slash." I called. Her right wing glowed purple and she swung it at the wicked pokemon in front of her, sending him flying.

Shiftry landed cleanly on the ground just a little ways from Ash.

"Swift." I said. Skarmory opened her mouth, and yellow stars shot out toward Ash's pokemon.

Ash stomped his foot on the ground once, and suddenly there was a blinding light.

"Skar!" Skarmory shouted, disoriented.

I couldn't see anything, but when my vision cleared I could see that my pokemon was caught in a vortex of leaves, hitting the undersides of her wings at the delicate red feathers underneath. Shiftry was nowhere to be seen.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, knowing that was causing her pain, "Steel wing!"

Both of Skarmory's wings glowed white, she moved them up and down breaking the vortex's that were causing her pain. She flew around looking for the wicked pokemon, probably wanting to tear it to shreds for rustling her no longer perfect feathers.

I looked at Ash, who was drawing symbols in the sand with his feet.

_He's talking to Shiftry_. I realized with a start. Ash stopped drawing Symbols and stomped on the ground three times, waited a second, and then five more.

_Shit shit shit, what did those amount of stomps mean again?_ I fussed, but it was too late.

Shiftry jumped from the ground, and once again hit Skarmory with x-scissor. But this time the attack was pointed to her left wing.

Skarmory screeched in pain, and fell to the ground. Down for the count.

"Good job, girl. You battled well. Rest." I said. I looked over to Ash. He was talking to Shiftry, patting his head.

"Go sit with Noctowl and Togekiss, you deserve a rest! You did good, even with your type disadvantage!" He said encouragingly. Shiftry smiled and ran to sit with the other pokemon.

"Ash, what's the deal with your Shiftry?" I asked, my curiosity as a pokemon researcher taking over.

"It was a few years ago when I was traveling in Hoenn. There were these Team Aqua thugs that were trying to catch him and his pack of Seedot and Nuzleaf, so they could use his type advantage to capture the legendary pokemon, Kyogre. I was passing through the forest, he thought I was one of them and attacked me. Even though Pikachu tried to protect me there were too many of them," He said, looking at his Pikachu, who was now playing with Umbreon a ways off in the tall grass.

"But when the real Team Aqua attacked they weren't ready for them. There was a huge explosion, and Shiftry took the brunt of it. I managed to fend off most of them because electric attacks are a huge advantage against water types, and my other pokemon were pretty strong too. So Team Aqua retreated. But Shiftry was too badly hurt to heal himself so I brought him to Nurse Joy. She fixed him up, but said he lost his hearing in his right ear, and part of his hearing in his left. When Shiftry woke up he went back to his pack, and I didn't see him until about a week later. I was in Ever Grande City. When I walked out of the pokemon center, he was standing on a tree branch, holding the green glove I lost when I was battling Team Aqua."

I looked over at Ash's Shiftry, he was talking to Noctowl. Pointing his leaves in the direction of Pallet town.

"Was he rejected by his pack?" I asked.

Ash nodded, "Because he lost his hearing, they deemed him unfit to rule and protect them anymore. He followed me around for a while, and one day when I was turned around he took a pokeball from my rucksack, put it in my hand, and stepped away."

"He wanted you to be his trainer," I realized, "Because you really saved his life."

Ash smiled, "That's what I thought. So I threw the pokeball at him, and he officially was part of my team. It took a lot to figure out how I was going to battle with him, since he's mostly deaf. And it wasn't easy! But we eventually got it down," he concluded.

"That's... Wow." I couldn't believe it, "That's amazing. Good on you."

"Thanks! But enough with the sappy story! Ready for our last battle?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, "Umbreon!"

"Pikachu!" Ash called.

Our pokemon ran from the tall grass, to our sides. One look, and they realized that it was their turn to battle. They took their places, electricity crackling on Pikachu's red cheeks, and the rings on Umbreon's body glowing slightly.

Ash and I smiled at each other.

"Double team, Umbreon!" I exclaimed.

"Umbreon!" She said, the rings on her body glowing brighter now as copies of herself appeared all around.

"Pi..ka?" Pikachu said confused.

"Pikachu! Use quick attack, hit all the doubles to find the real Umbreon!" Ash exclaimed.

_He learned from our last battle... good_. I thought, just as Pikachu hit Umbreon.

"Iron tail!" Ash exclaimed.

Pikachu's tail glowed a steely pewter, he started to turn to hit the stunned moonlight pokemon.

"Psychic!" I exclaimed, hoping that she would be quick enough to not get hit. I knew that's one of Pikachu's best and most powerful attacks, and I didn't want this battle to end just yet.

The blue rings on Umbreon's legs, tail, and head started glowing white and Pikachu was thrown back; the mouse pokemon hit the ground with a thump and a small cloud of dust.

"Dark pulse." I said.

The rings on Umbreon glowed purple as she lifted her front left leg and put it down again, a ring of dark power sweeping the ground.

_This attack is impossible to avoid_. I thought smugly.

"Iron tail again! But hit the ground!" Ash exclaimed proudly.

"What?" I blurted.

Pikachu's tail glowed that steely pewter again, and hit the ground as hard as his little body would allow him to. Just as the dark pulse was about to reach him, he shot up into the air. Completely evading Umbreon's attack.

I stared wide-eyed at the little mouse pokemon up in the air, so high that he was nothing more than a tiny dot.

"Well damn... I remember when Pikachu wouldn't even listen to you, Ash-boy." I said, awestruck.

He smiled, "We've come a long way, huh?" He looked up into the sky, Pikachu was now a little bigger, but was still falling, "Oh! By the way, I had a dream about the day we started our journey as pokemon trainers," he said.

I smiled, "Really? How ironic," I said, just as Pikachu touched down on the ground in a cloud of dust on all fours.

"I didn't mean go that high, bud. Next time tone it down. I just had a whole conversation with Gary!" Ash playfully scolded.

Pikachu made an embarrassed face, and scratched his ear, "Pika. Pikachu," he said. The mouse pokemon looked at me and nodded. As if to tell me to commence with the battle.

"Okay then," I said, "Umbreon, shadow ball!"

The moonlight pokemon lifted her head and a ball of darkness formed just over her snout.

"Breon!" She said letting it fly at Pikachu.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu stood on two feet, "Pika..." he said, the electricity on his cheeks crackling even more. When the shadow ball got close enough he let go of all the electricity in one loud, "Chu!"

When his attack met Umbreon's, there was an explosion, and smoke.

_That can only be expected, I thought, those were two very powerful attacks._

"Volt tackle." Ash said.

_I gasped, He's using the smoke created by the impact of the two attacks to his advantage!_

"Umbreon! Stay on guard!" I yelled to my pokemon, who was lost in the smoke.

A gust of wind went through Route One, getting rid of the smoke just in time for me to see one of the most powerful attacks an electric type pokemon can use.

Pikachu was running at full speed at Umbreon, its body completely surrounded by golden electricity. Although the electricity was golden, Pikachu's body looked black and white.

With the speed Pikachu was running at, Umbreon had no chance at avoiding it. Pikachu tackled her, my pokemon taking the full damage of the attack from her right side. Umbreon was hurled back to the tall grass where the two pokemon were playing before the battle had even begun.

I looked at the mouse pokemon in shock. It's tiny body was surrounded in yellow sparks of energy, obviously hit with some serious recoil. He took a breath, and ran back to Ash, who was holding his arms out wide.

I rummaged through my rucksack until I found a super potion. I jogged over to where Umbreon was in the tall grass, picked her up, and carried her over to where Ash was, tending to his pokemon. Empty super potion bottles lay strewn about all around him.

I laid Umbreon on the ground just as Ash was patching up Togekiss's wing.

"We're going to have to take you to the Pokemon Center," he said troubled, "I can't heal this on my own."

I looked at Umbreon, who was wincing in pain as I sprayed the potion on her wounds, "I need to get her to a pokemon center too," I said, "I think all of our pokemon should go. This was a tough fight!"

He nodded his head, "You've gotten stronger! You should become a gym leader," He said.

"Me? A gym leader? Nah, I have my research to worry about."

"Oh... never mind then."

I reached over to my bag and put all of our trash in, when I touched the Pokegear.

"Here you go, winner." I said handing it over to him.

He looked puzzled, "Uhhh... Gary I already have a Pokedex," He said unsure.

"Ash! This is not a Pokedex, this is a new piece of technology called Pokegear. It does the job of a telephone, personal organizer, town map, and radio all in one!" I said, copying Gramps word for word.

His eyes got wide, "That is so cool! Thanks Gary!" he exclaimed, taking the Pokegear and setting it up.

When he finished he called all his pokemon back into their pokeballs, and with Pikachu and Umbreon healed well enough to walk, we set off toward Viridian City. Pikachu and Umbreon quickly ran in front of us to play.

"Well, I won't be challenging the Elite 4 today..." Ash said disappointed.

I felt guilty, "I'm really sorry, Ash. I shouldn't have challenged you to that battle," I said.

He looked at me, his eyes full of happiness, "That's okay though. I got to battle you again. It's been a good year since we battled. Plus, it's good practice for the Elite 4."

I smiled at him, "I guess you're right Ashy-boy," I said, putting my hands behind my head.

Ash looked at his Pokegear, "Sweet Arceus, it's almost 5 o'clock!," he exclaimed, "When we get to Viridian, let's go get some ramen! A new restaurant just opened up. It'll be my treat."

I smiled, "Sure Ashy-boy. As long as I don't get anything too spicy. That stuff's not good on my stomach," I said, painfully remembering the last time I had spicy food.

Ash started laughing, obviously remembering it too.

"It's not funny!" I said, pushing him into a nearby bush. I could still hear him laughing as I walked away.

_**So there you have it! I think I'll put a bit of fluff into the next chapter! ^3^ Until next time! Nawatha hamu wemu!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Let's eat!

_**Why hello there everyone! Lili here with the newest (and extremely late!) chapter of Retrieval! I am so sorry that it took me so long to write this! I didn't have internet for weeks (or so it seemed), so I couldn't access my google docs. So here is the new chapter. Remember to R&R and share with friends! Tell me what/who you would like to see in the upcoming chapters, and maybe I'll include it! Until next time, enjoy!**_

_**This chapter is in Ash's POV**_

"Welcome to the Viridian City pokemon center! How can I help you today, Ash and Gary?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Hi Nurse Joy!" I said happily. This Nurse Joy helped Pikachu and I after we were attacked on the first day of our journey, so we have always been on good terms, "We need our pokemon healed."

"And a room," Gary added.

"Oh yeah, and room. Please," I said putting my poke balls on the counter, "Can you give some extra care to Togekiss? He was pretty badly hurt in battle."

"Of course," Nurse Joy said, opening a side door on the counter for a tired Pikachu and a exhausted Umbreon to pass through, "Let me guess, you can Gary had a battle?"

I nodded sheepishly.

"Ashy-boy here," Gary said putting his arm around my shoulder roughly, and pulling me toward him, "Beat my butt! Didn't you Ashy?"

"Gary! Let go of me!" I said breaking away before I could start to blush again. Gary just chuckled.

"Okay boys," Nurse Joy said looking up from her computer, "I have admitted all your pokemon, and checked you into a room. The room number is 35, and your pokemon will be ready to pick up tomorrow morning!"

I grabbed the key she was handing me, "Thank you so much,"

"You're welcome, Ash. If you need anything I'll be here," she said, picking up two sets of poke balls and bringing them and the two pokemon into the backroom.

"Let's go put our stuff down so we can go eat. I'm starved," Gary said, taking my rucksack and heading to the door.

"Uh.. Sure," I said, catching up to him. We walked outside to the hotel annex, I opened the door for Gary. As he walked past me, he looked at me and smiled.

"What's wrong Ashy-boy? You're awfully quiet for once," he chuckled.

I walked in front of him so I could open the door to our room, "I-I'm worried about Togekiss. His wing was pretty bad," I spat out.

"Oh," he said, "I can understand that."

I pushed the door open, and flicked on the light. What I saw shocked me.

"There's only one bed," I choked out. We were silent for a moment.

"Eh, we'll deal with it later," Gary said, throwing our rucksacks on the small breakfast table, "We still got to call Gramps and your mum, and I'm hungry," he ushered me out the door, "So let's get a move on."

"Fine, fine. Just stop pushing me," I grumbled, "I saw a video phone in the annex lobby. I need to call to get Professor Oak's number and my mum's to put in my poke gear. Speaking of which," I said, tossing mine to him, "Put yours in there,"

He looked shocked at my assertiveness but then decided to put it in anyway.

I found the video phone and sat down, dialing the lab video phone.

"Hello? Oh! Ash!" Mum exclaimed, "Hunny! How are you? Are you okay? Did you get lost? How did the Elite 4 go? I haven't heard anything on the news. Are you hurt?"

I heard Gary chuckle, and I just let out an exasperated sigh, "No, Mum. I'm fine. I haven't gotten to the Elite 4 yet. I ran into Gary, we battled, and we have to spend the night in Viridian City pokemon center to let our pokemon heal," I explained.

"Gary's there? Tell him I said hello,"

"Hi Ms. Ketchum," Gary said, the emerald eyed boy poking his head into the picture. His hair brushed against my face.

_Jasmine… Hmmm…_ I thought. Realizing what I thought I shook myself mentally. I roughly pushed Gary out of the way and talked to mum again.

"We're going out to eat now," I said, "I'll call you tomorrow when I beat the Elite 4!"

"Alright sweetie! I'll talk to my champ tomorrow!" Mum said.

"Delia? Have you seen the water pokemon food?" I hear Professor Oak yell just before I hung up.

I got up and stretched, "Ready?"

Gary just nodded, and started toward the door.

We walked around Viridian, following the signs to the new ramen place.

"Thank you," Gary said.

"For what?" I asked, very confused.

"Letting me come with you," he said simply, running his hands through his long auburn hair, "I don't like traveling alone. Even if it is short distances,"

"Oh, you're welcome," I said, "Hey.. Gary-" I started to say but I was cut off.

"That's the place. Total Ramen Domination," he said pointing toward a building with a huge bowl of ramen on top.

We in and were greeted by a cheery warm hostess who showed us to a table for two near a window, but only after giving us an odd look.

"Wow! 50 different flavours of ramen," I exclaimed, my mouth starting to water at the thought of the noodles, "How am I going to decide on just one?"

Gary chuckled, "Get one now, and another flavour when we come back from the Elite 4 to celebrate your victory. It'll be on me though."

I lit up even more, my smile spreading from ear to ear.

"Hello! My name is Becky, and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you?" A girl said coming up to our table. She was probably 5" 1', had blue eyes, pin straight brown hair, freckles, and a nice enough smile.

_Her parents probably own a Miltank farm…_ I thought, hearing her slight country accent.

"I'll have green tea, hot please, and your seasonal veggie ramen bowl," Gary said politely, handing her his menu.

"Mhmm," She said writing it down, then turning to me, "Hey, sugar, what can I get you?"

"I'll have a grape and orange cheerio*, a bowl of spicy beef ramen, and a bowl of spicy chicken ramen please," I said, giving her my menu as well, "Oh! And can you please deliver a shrimp ramen bowl and a strawberry ramune to the pokemon center for Nurse Joy?"

"Wow! Hearty eater aren't we?" she giggled, taking my menu, "I'll be right back with your order, and I'll put that delivery in for you too," with that she winked and walked away.

I pulled out my pokegear and started to set it up. After putting in my name and the time and date and all that jazz, I looked at Gary who was just staring at me shocked.

"What?" I asked.

"She was just _flirting_ with you, and you didn't even notice. You didn't even react," he said bewildered.

"Huh? She was?"

He smacked his hand on his forehead, "Are you serious right now? You're so oblivious, Ash! Look, here she comes, watch how she acts around you,"

"Got your food!" Becky said cheerfully, and put Gary's ramen and his tea down in front of him, "Here you go, sweetie," she said, she put my two bowls down in front of me, and then my two cans of cheerio. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nope," I said simply.

Her smile dropped a bit, "Okay then, just holler if you need something, alright?" She said, walking away.

I looked at my noodles and my mouth started watering, "Itadaki-masu," I said before I dug into the best spicy beef ramen of my life, "So much better than instant!" I said with a mouthful.

Gary shook his head, "Incredible," he simply said, and started on his dinner.

When we finished we went to the front of the store to pay. I didn't want to risk seeing Becky again… the flirting thing creeps me out.

"Let's go to Simply Yum! for dessert," I suggested, "I'll pay again,"

"Yeah, okay," he said dully.

I frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you flirt back with her? Becky that is,"

"Oh, I don't know," I said, "I guess I don't like her or something."

"Oh, okay," Gary said, putting his hands in his pockets, and looking forward. The "I'm thinking but I'm not going to tell you what I'm thinking about" look set onto his face quickly.

_That's annoying,_ I thought, _Oh well, let's check the pokegear._

We walked like this for a few minutes before we got to Simply Yum!.

"Hello Gary! I haven't seen you in a while!" said the man at the counter, "What can I get you?"

"I'll have 3 Sakuramochi," Gary said to the man.

"And you? Young man?" he said to me.

"Uhhh… I'll have 12 Uiro,4 sakura, 4 chestnut, and 4 strawberry, please," I said, "Oh, and can we have them to go?"

"Of course, just give me a second," the salesman said.

"You always get uiro," Gary chuckled, "Ever since we were kids,"

I nodded, "Yup, you showed them to me on my 6th birthday. I always save them for special occasions," I said simply.

Gary was going to say something, but just then the salesman came back with a bag.

"Here you go! I threw in two bottles of Ramune, on the house," He said smiling.

"Thank you!" I said, I handed over the money that I owed. Turning to Gary I said, "Let's go to the gym. We can watch challengers and eat."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Ashy-boy," he said.

I put my head down a little bit to hid the faint blush starting to appear on my cheeks. _Why why why why why? Stop!_ I thought.

We arrived at the gym in little time and sat down to watch a new challenger take on the temp-gym leader. Who happened to be the last champion before Lance beat him.

We ate in silence for a little. I watched Wallace and this boy battle, and soon I could pick out the flaws in his strategy.

"Wallace is going to win," I said after swallowing the piece of uiro that I was eating.

"How do you know that?" Gary asked.

"Because even though the challenger has a Dragonair and a Venosaur, great choice by the way Bulbasaur is a really loyal pokemon, Wallace has Clampearl, which knows icebeam, and blizzard. Those are ice type moves, which are stronger against grass and dragon type pokemon." I said, "the rest of the challengers team will be taken out quickly. Wallace knows what he's doing."

"I don't believe you," Gary said.

I laughed, "I can hear the doubt in your voice, just watch,"

I looked at Gary's face as his eyes widened in shock; everything I had just said unraveled before his eyes. I snapped a picture of him with my pokegear. I smiled at the picture of him with his eyes wide, and his jaw hitting the floor.

"H-How did you know that stuff anyway?" He asked when we were walking back to the Pokemon center.

"Years of training, Gary. I've beaten pokemon leagues, battled against the toughest trainers, fought against and along side legendaries…" I stopped and sighed, "It's just something I picked up. It's how I win my battles. Strategy, is what you would call it."

"I've got to admit Ashy-boy, that's pretty damn impressive," he said smiling, "You've come a long way."

I nodded, but kept silent, I didn't know what to say to that.

"Hey, go ahead to the room, I'm going to check on the pokemon and make sure that Nurse Joy got her ramen

"Will do, give me the key. I'll just leave the door unlocked," Gary said.

"Alright, see you soon," I said, turning my back on him and walking into the pokemon center.

"Hello! Welcome to the- Oh, Ash! Thank you for the ramen! It was delicious. You didn't need to do that though," Nurse Joy said happily, an empty Total Ramen Domination box in the trash and a half drunken bottle of ramune on the counter next to her computer.

"I wanted to. I told you before, I can _never_ repay you for saving Pikachu's life. Sending you some ramen is the least I can do," I said.

She smiled, "Well thank you, Mr. Ketchum. I'm guessing you're here to check on the status of your pokemon?" she asked, already clicking away at her keyboard.

"Yes ma'am."

"Everyone is coming along nicely, both yours and Mr. Oak's pokemon. Togekiss needed a little more treatment than the rest, and Pikachu need a small shock therapy, nothing serious, and Nidoking was just treated for a mild burn. That's basically all the major stuff, the rest was minor."

"Thank you so much," I said, stretching and yawning, "What time is it anyway?"

"11:35, you should be getting to bed, you have a big day tomorrow!" Nurse Joy said, "I'll have breakfast ready for you and Mr. Oak tomorrow morning."

"I would love that, thank you."

"Goodnight Ash.""Goodnight Nurse Joy." I said walking out of the pokemon center, and looking up. I could see the faint outlines of Noctowl and other night pokemon flying around looking for something to eat. I could hear rodent pokemon scurrying around in the bushes looking for food, and fighting for it too I guessed.

Taking one last deep breath I stepped inside the annex building, walking slowly so my eyes could adjust to the florescent light bulbs. Walking down the hall I finally got to Gary and my room, and pushed open the door.

"Nurse Joy says she'll make breakfast for us tomorrow morning," I said to Gary, I turned around after locking the door to look at Gary, "That's really nic-" and I stopped and just stared.

_Why? Why? _WHY_? Why me? _I thought. After a few seconds, I put my head down so my chin was touching my chest.

"Gary, why don't you have clothes on" I asked trying to keep my voice from going too high.

"I do have clothes on. Boxers to be exact, Ashy-boy. I took a shower when I got here," he said simply.

"I-I-I'm going to take a shower," I said bolting into the on suit bathroom and locking the door behind me. I quickly undressed and stepped into the already running shower.

_Oh. My. Arceus. I just saw Gary Oak half naked. _I thought, putting soap on my biceps, washing off all the dirt and grim from the day, _Gary has nice biceps… he has abs too… S-stop! Sweet baby Mew, Ashton! This is _Gary_ you're thinking about! Stop thinking about him like that!_

Freaked out by the way I was thinking I quickly showered and dressed in my pajamas. I splashed more cold water on my face to get my head straight. _I don't even know what that was…_ I thought to myself.

After finally calming down from my mini panic attack, I quietly slipped into the main room, only to find Gary asleep on the bed. Awkwardly, I walked over to the closet and got the extra blankets to make myself a bed on the couch.

I was putting a sheet on the couch when Gary said, "Ash,"

I jumped out of my skin, I thought he was asleep.

"Y-yeah?" I replied.

"Get over here. We can sleep in the same bed. We used to all the time when we were kids," he said, pushing over so there was plenty of room for me.

"Okay," I said, lifting the cover just enough that I could slip under. Shutting off the light and putting my head on the pillow I yawned, "Goodnight, Gary."

There was no reply for a while, but in a few seconds I heard a very soft, very sleepy, "G'nigh, Ash."


	6. Chapter 6: An odd morning

_**Tada! Lili here! Here's the new chapter. I hope you all like it, I'm trying to get the chapters written faster. I'm going to write a few in advance so I always have one at the ready. Remember to R&R, share, and tell me something you might like to see! Maybe I'll incoorporate it!**_

_**This is in Gary's POV**_

Sunlight filtered through the mini blinds that covered the single window in the pokemon center hotel room, waking me from the light sleep I was in. I moved my feet a little to find that the blanket was no longer on me, but I was still warm.

_So warm._I thought sleepily. I snuggled closer to the warmness, smiling. Then the warm thing moved its head. My eyes snapped open to see Ash sleep with his head resting on my chest, his raven black hair as messy as ever, and my arm around him.

_When did this happen?_ I wondered. Taking a deep breath I tried to figure out what to do. _Do I wake him up? Do I wait for him to wake up?_ I looked at the clock on the nightstand_, It's only five thirty! What if he doesn't wake up for hours?_

In the midst of my miniature panic attack Ash started to stir. I watched as he stretched out his whole body, several of his joints popping, and his chest pressing up again my side even more. His head moved a little, then he finally picked his head up and looked at me with sleepy chocolate brown eyes. Then proceeded to do absolutely nothing else.

"Uh... Good morning?" I half asked, half said, giving him a lazy smile.

Then it dawned on him. His eyes went wide and he jumped back, falling off the bed and onto the floor with a _thump_.

I sat up to look at him. _He's blushing. _I realized.

"I- I- uh... I'm sorry!" stuttered out, trying to hide his face.

I laughed a little and scratched the back of my head, "Ehhh... it's fine. Don't worry."

"I-I get cold at night. A-and you were warm, s-s-so I just kept getting closer," he got up and walked to the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Well then... " I said softly, getting up and stretching, "I guess I should get dressed." Walking around the bed to the armchair that held Ash's and my own rucksack I looked for my day clothes. Whilst rummaging around in my rucksack, Ash's fell to the floor, spilling its contents near my feet.

I sighed and bent down to pick everything up before Ash decided to emerge from the bathroom. I laughed when I saw that his boxers had the days of the week, and continued to laugh softly at the various objects as I put them back in the bag. Upon reaching for another object, my heart skipped a beat when I realized what it was. It was half of a pokeball.

_The other half of the pokeball,_ I thought. I fell back on my butt and sat criss cross applesauce (_**AN: That's Indian style)**_ and examined the red half of the pokeball. _I can't believe he still has this._I thought, remembering how the pokeball got into this state...

_"Gary! Look what I found!" a familiar voice yelled from behind me. I paused the game I was playing with a trainer's Marill that was left at Gramp's lab to turn to the person talking to me. "It's a pokeball Gary! A real one!" Ash said excitedly._

_"I see them all the time, Ash. It's nothing special to me," I said, nonchalantly. _

_He frowned at me, "Well I only get to see them on tv... So it's special to me," he said gazing at the red and white ball in his hand, "Do... do you think there's a pokemon in it?"_

_I took the pokeball from him, "Let's find out!" I yelled, throwing the pokeball. All it did was hit the floor and open up._

_"Aww man! No pokemon! Oh well," Ash said, "I can give it to Professor Oak, maybe he can use it!" He went to pick it up, but I snatched it before he could._

_"Better yet, let's use it to catch a pokemon! We can go to the tall grass right outside Pallet," I said, "No one would ever know, and we could keep the pokemon a secret!"_

_"Gary... I don't think that's a good idea. You know how Professor Oak is always saying it's dangerous to travel in the tall grass without pokemon," Ash said, but I took off running toward the tall grass anyway. "Gary! Wait for me!"_

_I smirked, arriving at the tall grass before Ash. I waited patiently for him to get to me, opening and closing the pokeball. When I wasn't paying attention Ash arrived and grabbed the red side of the pokeball._

_"Come on Gary! We have to go! We'll get in trouble!" he exclaimed, pulling on the pokeball._

_"You're not my grandpa!" I yelled and pulled back. We fought like that for a moment, exchanging minor insults and tugging at the pokeball until the hinge broke, and the pokeball snapped in half._

_I took a surprised step back, almost falling over my own two feet, and Ash somehow ended up getting hit in the nose, and falling and twisting his ankle._

_"I- I told you it was a bad idea Gary!" he sniffled, looking up at me. With a pretty bad bloody nose, he tried to get up but ended up back on his butt. "Why don't you ever listen?!" he cried, hiding his face in his hands, causing blood and tears to mix._

_"Hey… Don't cry..." I said weakly, "Please?"_

_"You... you don't listen Gary! I told you something bad was going to happen!" he sobbed. I sighed and walked over to him._

_"I'm sorry, Ash. But let's go back to Gramps' lab. It's getting dark," I said, picking him up bridal style._

_"Why are you carrying me?" _

_"You can't walk with a twisted ankle."_

_"Oh. Well I'm keeping half of the pokeball, the red half. You can keep the white part. It can be our friendship thingy." Ash said playing with the broken pokeball in his hands._

_"Sounds like a plan."_

_"And Gary?"_

_"Yeah, Ash?"_

_"Thank you for carrying me."_

"No problem Ashy-boy."

I smiled at my flashback, that was a few years before Ash and I got our pokemon and became rivals. I still had my piece of the pokeball. It was on my shelf in my room at back at the lab in Pallet.

"Ready to go, Gary?" I heard Ash ask as he emerged from the bathroom.

I quickly stuffed the half pokeball into his rucksack and put it on the chair, grabbing my clothes in the process. "I was waiting for the bathroom. I need to brush my hair, these good looks don't keep up with themselves you know."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Well hurry. I'm starving and I want to see my pokemon."

"Yeah yeah, well sit down and chill out. I'll be ready in a few seconds." I heard a _mhm_, and closed the bathroom door. Looking in the mirror, I noticed the usual bags that were under my eyes weren't there today. _I guess I slept pretty good!_I thought

I wet my hands in the sink and ran them through my hair, doing nothing really. After putting on my clothes and brushing my teeth, I snapped at myself in the mirror, winked, and walked out.

Ash was sitting on the bed looking at his pokedex. "Ready?" I asked.

He quickly snapped his pokedex shut and jumped up, "Yep! Let's get going!" he said smiling brightly. We grabbed our bags and headed to the door. I opened the door, letting Ash through first.

We walked down the hallway that lead to the lobby, anticipating the breakfast that Nurse Joy prepared for us. Passing the lobby we saw multiple trainers passed out on the couches and chairs. Mouths agape, and drool protruding from them.

Ash giggled, "I remember those days."

"What days?" I asked.

"The days where I would just crash wherever there was a warm room, or a couch. Sleeping in the lobbies of pokemon centers were always the best because there were drinking machines and everything. We couldn't always get a room." he explained.

"But... Didn't you have money from all the battles you won?" I wondered.

"Yeah, but I saved it all. I hardly ever spent a penny, unless I _really_needed it. Like for food, pokefood, train or boat tickets, medicine, and stuff like that. It was more fun traveling like that."

I didn't say anything, when I traveled as a trainer I always had a car bring me where I needed. I always had a hotel room to stay in. I always had what I needed and wanted. I wondered what it was like traveling like Ash did.

I was jolted to the present by Ash being knocked into my by a yellow ball of energy.

"Pika!" It said.

I looked around and realized we were in the main pokemon center building. I retrieved the key to our room as Umbreon walked up to me. I bent down to pet her head.

"Hey girl, I'm glad to see that you're doing better. Are you ready to accompany Ash and Pikachu to the Elite 4?" I asked her.

"Breon!" she cried, licking the back of my hand. I smiled and turned the key over to Nurse Joy, who in return, handed me a take away box.

"I figured you would want to get going ASAP. So I prepared something easily eaten on the road." She said smiling, and she turned around to get my pokeballs.

Attaching them to my belt I gave her my thanks and turned around to look for Ash. He was in the middle of the room with all his pokemon around him. Telling them how great they did, and how hard they're going to have to work today.

Umbreon bit my hand a little, urging us to be on our way.

"Ash, we have to go. I have medicine to deliver, remember?" I said, waiting by the door.

"Oh yeah! Alright everyone, return!" he said, calling all his pokemon, except Pikachu who jumped on his shoulder, into their pokeballs. "Let's get going!" He said, "Bye Nurse Joy! Thanks for the food!"

"You're welcome Ash, you too Gary! Come by again!" Nurse Joy yelled from inside the pokemon center.

I gazed up at Mount Silver in awe, as if I was seeing it for the first time in my life.

"Come on Gary. We have a long walk ahead of us." Ash said, already a few paces in front of me.

I nodded, and walked after him, still thinking of the day we broke the pokeball.


	7. Chapter 7: Koga the poison master!

_**BOOM! BAM! Lili here! I hope you guys like long chapters, because I got one right here for you! Over 2,000 words. I almost died when I saw the word count. But I hope you like it! Please R&R, even if you favourite or follow, please review to tell me what you like about this chapter, or the story thus far; or even what you didn't like. Also, I would like to suggest that when you start reading the battle between Koga and Ash play pokemon firered/leafgreen music- Gym/Elite 4 battle. I really like this version, and it's what I listened to whilst writing! **_

_**This chapter is in Ash's POV**_

I stood outside the entrance to the pokemon league. I had been here plenty of times for league battles, all of which I had won; however this time was different. This time I would go up against the most difficult trainers in all of the regions.

I scratched the back of my neck, "Kinda daunting, ain't it Pikachu?"

"Pi-ka." he said slowly.

"Well Ashy-boy," Gary said clapping me on the back, "We're not getting any younger! Let's get going!" He opened the door and just waltzed in.

I shook my head slightly in disbelief and walked in as well, Pikachu riding on my head. Once inside I gasped, it was amazing in here. The walls and floor were the same deep crimson colour; a grand staircase led to a top floor that I couldn't see; a PC sat next to the pokemon center station; a small pokemart armed with potions and full restores aplenty.

Pikachu and I looked around in awe. I slightly shook my head, _I'm about to accomplish my dream. I'm going to beat Lance and become champion!_I thought with confidence.

I walked to the small pokemart and bought a few revives and full heals, as well as some snacks for myself. I was eating a candy bar when a girl came rushing out of an unseen door along the wall. Sniffling, she handed her pokeballs over to Nurse Joy.

"I can't believe I lost!" she sobbed, "I trained so hard! I.. I got all the badges from Kanto and Johto, but I still couldn't win." Suddenly a Meganium freed itself from its pokeball. Walking to its trainer with a slight limp, the pokemon used its vines to wrap around the girl in a sort of a hug.

The girl put her arms around the herb pokemon's neck. "Oh Meggi! I'm sorry! I promise next time we'll win! And then we'll beat Lance! I promise!" She sobbed.

The Meganium, Meggi, licked her trainers cheek and made reassuring noises. In a few moments Nurse Joy called Meggi over to be healed.

"It seems I have to wait for you to get to Will so I can give him the medicine for the Ralts," Gary said, coming up from behind me succeeding in making me jump a little. "So let's get a move on Ashy-Boy."

I nodded at him, my confidence diminishing. Pikachu gave me a small shock as to tell me to go on. I shook myself and followed Gary up the grand staircase. I finally saw what was on the top floor that I couldn't see before: a stained oak door with golden handles, and a man sitting behind the desk.

I approached the man at the desk, he smiled at Gary and I.

"Two challengers today?" He asked, starting to type some information into his computer.

"No sir," I said, he stopped to look up, "I'm the challenger today. Gary is delivering some medicine to Will from Professor Oak." Gary waved a little awkwardly beside me.

The man smiled again, "Oh! For the Ralts I'm guessing," Gary nodded, "No problem then, I'll just give you a guest pass. May I see your trainer ID please?"

I took mine out of the pocket inside my jacket, and handed it over to the man. He looked at it in shock.

"What?" I asked worried.

"M...Mr. Ketchum! It's an honor to meet you!" he stuttered, shaking my hand, "I've seen all your league battles. I can't believe you've met all the legendaries! You're quite the legend yourself, sir!"

I blushed a little, "Uh, thanks. Just call me Ash." I said. This happens a lot, and it's no less embarrassing every time.

He quickly printed something out and laminated it, and did the same for Gary before handing them both over.

"Mr. Ketch- I mean Ash, your badge basically says that you will be challenging the Elite 4 and the terms of your battles. Basically since you have such an amazing, if I do say so myself, record, you will only have to win two out of three battles, and you can advance. If you reach Lance, it will be a one-on-one battle. Last pokemon standing wins. During the Elite 4 battles you may use items such as full heals, antidotes, burn heal, etc, a maximum of 3 times. But when battling Lance, you are not permitted to use items." he concluded, turning to Gary, "Your badge is a visitors badge. Basically it lets you travel with Ash for as long as you need, and once you don't want to go on, all you have to do is show it to one of the Elite 4 or Lance, and they can open a door that will bring you back here," He motioned to a door to the right of him, "Ash cannot leave unless all his pokemon faint."

I nodded, that was a lot of information to take in. But I had Gary with me, so I knew he got it all. If i needed to know something he could explain it.

Gary took his badge and slipped it in his front left pocket. I put mine with my trainer ID in the pocket in my jacket.

"Thank you," I said shaking the man's hand and stepping up to the door.

"You're welcome. Now Ash, you understand that once you enter these doors you cannot turn back unless all your pokemon faint." he said, seemingly reading a disclaimer.

I nodded and smiled challengingly, "Bring it on."

Gary chuckled from next to me, and I heard a button click. The huge oak doors slid to either side, I cracked my neck and walked in. Once gary was standing beside me, the door closed, and the platform we were standing on started to rise.

When it stopped, I stepped through the a veil of a heavy black cloth to face my first challenge. Looking down to make sure I didn't trip, I saw grey tiles with green moss growing in the cracks; there were stands on either side of the stadium , they were in the same condition as the floor, but seated a few spectators who were chatting amongst themselves; all around the stadium were trees and bushes, in them there were evil red eyes looking out at you; there was a slight purple fog lapping around my ankles. The whole scene was very creepy.

Gary called Umbreon back into her pokeball and Pikachu jumped on my shoulder.

"Fwahahaha!" someone yelled, jumping from one of the trees, "I live in the shadows- a ninja! My intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion... sleep... poison... Prepare to be the victim of my, poison master Koga's, sinister techniques, Ash Ketchum!" Koga said, he reached to his belt and sent out his first pokemon.

I took a moment to recover from shock and saw his first pokemon, Crobat._ Crobat is strong and fast... I got the perfect match!_I thought grabbing a pokeball from my belt.

"Go Togekiss!" I exclaimed as the jubilee pokemon burst from the red and white pokeball. It took a minute to get its bearings, then he got his game face on.

"Crobat! Use supersonic!" Koga yelled to his pokemon. Crobat opened his mouth and took a breath that would deliver the attack that could end this battle before it even started.

"Quick Togekiss! Use Extrasensory to counter it!" I yelled to my pokemon. The shapes on his body started to glow immediately. The glowing only got brighter as he combated the obviously strong attack.

Koga _hmpf'ed_, getting annoyed, "Wing attack."

Crobat closed its mouth and flew at Togekiss. The jubilee pokemon couldn't move in time and took the full force of the attack. He hurtled back toward me. I caught him before he hit the floor. He licked my cheek and floated back in front of me.

"Aura sphere." I told him. A small ball of white energy started to form in front of him, white whisps dripping off his body and joining the ball, making it bigger and adding other hints of colours. When he deemed it big enough, a final blast of energy sent it flying at the bat pokemon.

"Dodge it, poison fang," Koga said, still bored. The bat pokemon moved to the side, the aura sphere just grazing the tip of his wing as he flew past it toward my tired pokemon.

Crobat made a screeching noise and bit Togekiss. Togekiss squealed and tried to get the bat pokemon off its back, but it was too late. Togekiss was poisoned.

_Thank Arceus for peacha berries._I thought as I saw Togekiss go to eat the one I gave him before the battle.

"Theif." Koga said.

Crobat swooped down on my pokemon and snatched the berry just before it entered its mouth, eating it itself.

"Metronome!" I yelled. Togekiss' whole body started to glow and he swayed back and forth a few times. His eyes flared red as he opened his mouth and a torrent of flames shot out at Crobat. The bat pokemon was covered in flames when my pokemon collapsed from the poison in his system.

"Wing attack." Koga said. Crobat swooped down and finished off my pokemon with a swoop of his wing. I called Togekiss back into his pokeball, "Really now Ashton. If this is the best you can do you'll never make it to Lance! Hahaha!"

I snarled at him and drew my next pokeball, "Go Shiftry!"

"Go Forretress!" Koga yelled, letting loose a duskball, "Type disadvantage Ash, you're never going to win!"

I snarled at him again, he's so cocky! "Shiftry, use flash!" I yelled. A flash of white light blinded the bagworm pokemon, "Now! X-scissor!"

The wicked pokemon took off at a dead run toward Forretress, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Gyroball." Koga said, surprised at Shiftry's speed.

I couldn't tell my pokemon to stop and dodge in time, he attacked just as Forretress let loose his attack. The power of the X-scissor attack managed to break the gyroball attack, but there was an explosion that sent both pokemon flying back with damage.

I tapped on the floor three times, and when Shiftry recovered he dug into the ground.

"What!" Koga exclaimed, "Toxic spikes!" Forretress spun around poison barbs landed all around him.

_I really hate poison types_, I thought. I tapped on the floor with my foot twice, and made a sweeping motion.

I looked up to see Koga studying me closely. I smiled as my wicked pokemon jumped from the ground and hit the bagworm pokemon, making it make several rotations in the air. At the same time Shiftry spun in the air making a tornado of leaves, and sent small ones in all directions. Smaller ones pushed the poison barbs away, and a large one whipped around Forretress.

Shiftry landed in the clearing made from the leaf storm tornado. I tapped the floor 5 times, and Shiftry crossed his arms over his chest and started running toward Forretress.

"Zap cannon! Hurry!" Koga yelled. Forretress let out a jet of electric power toward the wicked pokemon.

I slipped my foot back, and just as he was about to get hit, Shiftry jumped above the beam. Missing it by a hair. Shiftry landed behind the bagworm pokemon, and slashed at the exposed red flesh.

Forretress made a sound of pain and fell to the floor. Shiftry jumped in the air and ran to me.

"Good job boy! Return!" I said, putting him back in his pokeball, and drawing out my last pokemon.

"You have a strong bond with your pokemon. I'm impressed. But can you defeat my final pokemon?!" He said. He threw his pokeball in the air, and as soon as the pokemon appeared my heart dropped.

_I have faith in you, _I thought toward the pokemon in the pokeball that was in my hand. I threw the ball, and in less than a second my Quilava stood in front of me, the flames on her lower back and neck blazing with the intensity of the sun.

"Let's go girl! Smokescreen!" I told her. She dimmed the flames on her back so it would create smoke, and sent the smoke at Muk.

I heard multiple _oooo_'s and _ahhh_'s from the audience.

"Gunk shot." Koga said, huge balls of gunk flew from the smoke in all directions. A force field stopped any from hitting the audience, but Gary, Quilava, and I had to dance like ballerinas to avoid getting hit.

"Ash you can't let him use minimize too much. You'll never win." Gary said, "And you know that this Muk is going to have that attack."

I nodded, noticing he was reminding me of the time he battled my Muk, "Quilava! Flamethrower!"

Quilava opened her mouth, and sent a torrent of flames at the sludge pokemon, who roared in pain.

"Minimize! Hurry!" Koga said. I could see the outline of Muk growing smaller through the smoke, making it harder for the volcano pokemon to hit its target, "Again! Minimize"

"No! Quilava! Use quick attack!" I yelled. Quilava darted toward the sludge pokemon.

"Tricked you! Use toxic!" Koga yelled, and my pokemon was covered in toxic sludge.

Badly poisoned she stumbled back, falling on her side.

"Gunk shot, but get closer so you won't miss." Koga said, dismissing this as his win.

"Quilava you can do this," I whispered, "Use fire blast, but store up the power until Muk is closer." She nodded weakly.

It took a moment of fake coaxing for Muk to get close to Quilava, but when he was close enough to her, the volcano pokemon let go one of the strongest fire blast attacks I had ever seen. Second only to Blain's Magmar.

The sludge pokemon roared in pain again, this time louder. When the smoke finally cleared, I saw my pokemon standing on her back feet over a fainted Muk.

"Yeah! We won!" I said jumping in a small circle. A hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Look," Gary said, his eyes wide. I turned around to see Quilava looking at her paws. They were _glowing_.

"Pika...pika chu!" Piped up the electric mouse on my hat.

"She's evolving!" I exclaimed. I watched as the pokemon that I raised from a cyndaquil evolved into it's final form. When the glowing stopped, I ran toward my Quil... I mean, Typhlosion and embraced her in a bear hug. She let down the flames on the back of her neck and nuzzled my cheek happily. "I'm so proud of you! You did such a great job!" I kissed the top of her muzzle, and she made a happy noise.

"Ahaha! You have proven your worth! I subjected you to everything my pokemon and I could muster. But alas, my efforts failed none the less. I must hone my skills even further! Go, go on to the next room and put your abilities to the test!" Koga said, drawing Muk back into its pokeball and disappearing back into the trees.

I praised Typhlosion once more and called her into her pokeball, "Let's go Gary." I said, pulling my challenger card out of its pocket, and scanned it at a scanner that was on a platform. There was a little _bing_, and the platform we were standing on started to rise. I started healing my team.

If Koga was that hard, I knew we were going to need it for the next battle.


	8. Chapter 8: Fighting and psychic masters!

_**Hello my little ducklings! Lili here! WOW, is all I have to say. I worked so hard on this chapter. This one will be from Ash's POV, not Gary's, but for good reason! I was originally going to just have all of the Elite 4 and Lance in Ash's POV, but had an epiphany and thought "Hey... I wonder what Gary would be thinking watching Ash battle?" So that will be the next chapter! But as always, R&R and share. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

I finished healing Togekiss just as the elevator stopped. The black steel doors in front of Gary and I opened up revealing the next room. Stepping out of the elevator, the doors sliding shut quietly behind us, I looked around.

This room was _way_different from Koga's. The battle field was on a raised platform above bubbling lava, like Blain's gym (How they managed to get the lava in here I will never know), and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur. The tiles were plain grey, and warm to the touch. To either side were giant cauldrons of even more lava, and around those were the stands that spectators could sit and watch the matches (I could see many of the people from my battle with Koga). In the middle of the battle field stood a man with his hair in a ponytail, some sort of khaki shorts, and no shirt.

_Sweet baby Mew, he looks like Brock on steroids,_I thought, looking the strange man up and down. He looked me up and down too.

"I see you have defeated Koga. I am Bruno. My pokemon and I always train to the extreme because we believe in our potential. That is how we became strong, and that is how we stay strong! Can you withstand our power? Hm? I see no fear in you, even though you stand before the fighting type champion of the 4 regions, you look determined. Perfect for the battle!" He boomed in his deep voice. He reached into his pocket and took out a pokeball, throwing it into the air, he caught it and held it in his giant hand, "Ready, Ash?" I nodded and reached for my first pokeball. "You will bow down to our overwhelming power!"

We threw our pokeballs into the air simultaneously, in a flash of red light my noctowl and his hitmonlee appeared.

Noctowl screeched and snapped his wings open, his wingspan probably around 10 feet, made him seem bigger and more intimidating. He knew this and used it to his full advantage.

Hitmonlee stood in front of his trainer, kicking at the empty air at an incredible speed.

"Alright Noctowl! We can do this! Fly!" I yelled to my pokemon. Screeching again, the shiny owl pokemon took to the air. Once at a height he deemed appropriate he stopped and just hovered occasionally flapping his wings to keep up in the air.

Bruno scoffed, "You think a flying type can stop us? Hitmonlee! Use sky uppercut!" The kicking pokemon used its massive leg power to rush forward and launch into the air, a few feet above and in front of Noctowl. When gravity took its course and Hitmonlee started to fall, he put out his right leg, aimed for Noctowl's head, and started to use his own energy to put some force behind it.

I didn't even have to tell Noctowl to dodge, he simply flew to the side and watched as Hitmonlee crashed into the ground, making a crack. He made a small scoffing noise of his own.

I smiled, _Cocky bastard..._

"Psychic." I said, feeling quite cocky myself. Noctowl flew down and stood in front of the still recovering pokemon that lay on the ground. His eyes glowed a bright red and the kicking pokemon squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands on his head as if he was in pain.

He probably was.

Noctowl continued his attack, the power of it increasing by the second. I could tell by the red glow, the stronger the attack, the deeper the red.

"Fuck!" Bruno yelled in utter frustration, "Hitmonlee! Use blaze kick!"

Hitmonlee concentrated as hard as he could, and soon his right leg was completely engulfed in flames. In a burst of energy, he lashed out at the owl pokemon in front of him. Noctowl was sent sprawling backwards, his concentration broke, and the attack stopped.

_It caused a lot of damage... I know that,_ I thought. I looked to my pokemon, his feathers were smoking slightly, a sure sign of a burn status. I smirked, _Perfect._

"Hitmonlee! Thunder punch!" Bruno yelled, figuring he had won already. Hitmonlee ran at Noctowl, his fists crackling with yellow electricity.

"Psycho shift, Noctowl!" I exclaimed, there was a quick flash of red in his eyes, and nothing else. Hitmonlee was close enough now to my pokemon, and started to throw his first punch. But upon the first touch, the electricty left his hands and he doubled over in pain.

Bruno looked at me astonished.

"Noctowl's psycho shift seems to inflict the status problem tenfold on his foe, we have no idea why." I said simply as Bruno's jaw dropped to the floor. I laughed, "Psychic!"

Once again the owl pokemon's eyes started to glow red, but this time deeper than when he started last time. Noctowl wanted revenge for his burned feathers, and he was going to get it.

The pokemon on the ground writhed in pain. The red in Noctowl's eyes got even deeper.

"Alright! Fine! Return!" Bruno yelled, calling his pokemon back into its ball.

Noctowl snapped out his wings and screeched in victory before hopping over to me and putting his beak under my hand.

"You're cold blooded, you know that?" I said, looking at the shiny pokemon pick at his feathers. He cooed softly and I put him back in his pokeball. After drawing out my next pokeball I looked at Bruno. I could practically see steam coming from his ears.

He roared in anger and blindly threw out his pokeball, Hitmontop. I threw out my pokeball and as gracefully as ever Milotic slithered around in a circle, finally stopping when she saw me.

She slithered over to me, and stood up to my level, her red eyes gazing into my brown ones. I smiled, "Ready?"

"Milotic!" she chirped and turned back to her opponent.

"Be careful, Ash," Gary, who had been quiet until now, said from behind me, "He's mad, which means he's going to be reckless. He's probably not use to being beaten so easy. Make sure Milotic keeps a good defense. This could end badly for her if you're not careful."

I nodded, "Milotic! Mirror coat!"

Her eyes glowed blue and her body was covered in a... well... Mirror coat. Her scales shone like a mirror for a few seconds, then went back to normal.

"Quick attack!" Bruno yelled, his voice saturated in anger. Hitmontop jumped, flipped in the air, and started spinning. Once he touched down, the spinning propelled him toward my pokemon.

Milotic, unfazed, gracefully to the side and swatted the handstand pokemon with her tail.

Bruno stomped his feet and crouched like a sumo wrestler before his match starts, "CLOSE COMBAT!" he bellowed.

_Wow... Gary was right he has a really bad temper. _I thought as Hitmontop went spinning at the tender pokemon once again. At the last second he jumped onto his feet and in a flurry of fists he hit Milotic as many times as he could, hardly ever missing a punch.

Milotic's eyes narrowed in distaste. I could tell it hurt her a lot, but she could think clearly through the pain.

"Icebeam!" I exclaimed, smiling.

Milotic opened her mouth and sent a particularly nasty icebeam at Hitmontop's face. The handstand pokemon flew through the air, but landed on his feet. Now as angry as his trainer. Without having to be told he jumped and landed on his head, starting to dig into the ground.

"Milotic, use recover." I said, knowing it would take a moment for Bruno's pokemon to find its mark. Milotic's body shimmered as the move took effect. In a few seconds the shimmering stopped and she was fully healed.

Hitmontop popped out of the ground a few feet away from her, "Triple kick!"

The handstand pokemon spun at Milotic away, attempting to kick her as he spun. But to no avail, Milotic easily evaded.

"It's not going to work!" I exclaimed, "I know Milotic's lowest stat is her defense, but she has a high speed stat, and she can dodge any attack fairly easily." I smirked, "Her special attack is very strong too."

Bruno went wide eyed as he mouthed the word, "No."

"Milotic! Use surf!" I yelled to my pokemon. She got as low as she could and slithered in a circle, somehow conjuring enough water from various places (AN: I think of water pokemon as waterbenders, as long as there is water they can use their "powers"). Soon there was a huge wall of water behind her.

Both trainer and pokemon stood in shock, mouths agape, as the wall of water rushed forward and completely engulfed Hitmontop. The water fanned out, falling off the sides onto the lava, making is hiss like thousands snakes. When the water completely dissipated Hitmontop laid on the ground, fainted.

I jumped, fist in the air, "Yeah! Go Milotic!" I exclaimed, embracing the tender pokemon. She made happy noises, and used recover to get rid of any damage done.

Bruno dropped to his knees. Looking at the ground he said, "How? How could we lose? And so easily at that? Having lost... I have no right to say anything... Go! Go face your next challenge!"

I nodded and drew Milotic back into her pokeball. Bruno got up and exited through a door previously hidden, his shoulders drooped. I felt a pang of remorse.

"Come on Ash," Gary said, grasping onto my shoulder, "Will is next."

I nodded and we proceeded to the next elevator. On the ride I healed my pokemon.

"Pika-pi," Pikachu said from Gary's shoulder, "Pika chuu." His ears perked up

I smiled at him but shook my head, "Not this time bud, sorry." Gary looked at me confused, "Pikachu wants to battle. But he's going to need his strength to go up against Lance's pokemon, whichever he may choose."

Pikachu's ears flopped again as he jumped from Gary's shoulder to the ground. There was a small _ding_and the doors opened, and a rush of cold air greeted us.

We stepped out of the elevator. The room we were in now, once again, was completely different from the previous two. This one was sleek, modern, and had a chill to it. Once again, stands adorned the sides of the battle field, but these looked more like seats in a movie theater complete with cupholders.

_I guess Will likes his spectators to be comfortable._I thought.

The tiles on the floor were a deep purple, and a holographic projector somehow projected cubes into the air, moving slightly and floating in and out of the ones around it.

In the corner there was a table, at which Will was sitting at drinking a cup of tea and reading a book. Gary walked over to him and gave him the medicine, exchanging a few words I could not hear. Will smiled and shook Gary's hand as he walked to his spot on the battle field. Gary took his place slightly behind me but at my side.

"Allow me to introduce of myself!" Will exclaimed, bowing slightly, "I am Will. I have trained all around the world, making my psychic type pokemon powerful. And I have been finally accepted into the Elite 4! I can only keep getting better! Although I am new, I am not easily defeated! So tell me, Ash. Are you ready to battle the Elite 4's psychic type master?" He grabbed a pokeball off his belt that hung losely on his waist.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, sheer determination burning in my heart as I grabbed my first pokeball.

Will's eyes glowed slightly purple, "Then let's get to it!"

After my pokeball landed in my hand, I looked up to see my Togekiss floating in the air before Will's Slowbro.

I expected Togekiss to turn and fly over to me and try to vie for attention, but he didn't. Because of his loss with Koga, he was determined to win. His whole aura had changed. I was very proud.

"Okay Togekiss! Use metronome!" I exclaimed. Togekiss floated from side to side before releasing a massive amount of electric energy. I smiled, _Thunder wave!_

"Slow?" the hermit crab pokemon said before popping a cheri berry in its mouth. My face dropped.

"Scald, Slowbro!" Will said, with enthusiasm.

Slowbro opened his mouth and shot boiling hot water at Togekiss. The jubilee pokemon screeched in pain and flew about trying to evade the water.

"Quick Togekiss! Use aurasphere!" I yelled to my pokemon. Still moving about, he managed to make a powerful enough attack to knock Slowbro over and deal a little damage.

"Calm mind!" Will commanded. Slowbro looked confused at first, but eventually a restful look settled on his features.

"Air slash Togekiss!" I yelled to my pokemon. Togekiss rushed at the hermit crab pokemon, building enough speed to send a blast of air that would cut the battle time in half.

"Zen headbutt, please."

_Ah shit._

Slowbro's forehead started to glow blue as he pushed up off the ground. Togekiss sent the air slash attack just as Slowbro hit him. The sheer force of the two attacks hitting sent the two pokemon hurtling in opposite directions. The two crashed into the ground, kicking up dust. Once the dust cleared, we were surprised to see that not one, but both pokemon were K. .

"Well shit..." Gary said under his breath.

Will giggled, jumping from foot to foot, as if he had to take a piss, 'Ohhh~~~! How interesting! Slowbro isn't evenly matched too much! Return my darling! You did so good." Will gushed, he drew his next pokeball from the inside of his coat, "Ready, Ash?" I nodded, "Then let's... Go!"

I sent my Noctowl up against Xatu. _This should be interesting._I thought.

"Let's go with a fly attack Noctowl!" I said to my pokemon. He snapped his wings out taking to the... well not sky. At a decent height he rocketed toward Xatu.

"Use protect!" Will exclaimed, his face growing grim when he realized it was too late.

Noctowl crashed into the mystic pokemon. Xatu crashed into the ground. Getting up she shook out her feathers in anger.

"Ominous wind!" Will exclaimed. Xatu spread her wing and beat them several times. Even though I was not the target of the attack, I got a sickening feeling in my stomach. I could only imagine what Noctowl was feeling.

"You go to stop this Ash. This could end very bad for Noctowl." Gary said. I nodded.

"Fly again! But use psychic with it!" I yelled. Noctowl flew up again, and rushed Xatu again. This time his eyes were glowing a murderous red.

Xatu twisted in pain of the powerful psychic attack, and once again was knocked to the ground as Noctowl rammed into her.

"Xatu dear, use U-turn!" Will asked politely. I turned to give Gary and odd look, he just shrugged.

Xatu got up slowly at first, but suddenly with blinding speed she launched herself into the air. In less than 3 seconds, Noctowl was on the ground and Xatu was back in her pokeball.

"Gooo, Jynx!" He yelled.

"Fuck," I said under my breath. _Noctowl is already weak, and he has a weakness to ice. What am I going to do?_I thought, trying to plan out a strategy as Will made a command I didn't hear.

Noctowl was hopping around trying to evade a icepunch from a surprisingly fast Jynx.

And I didn't even notice until Gary slapped me.

"ASH! Snap out of it! You're pokemon is in trouble!" He said, stepping out from in front of me.

Shocked, I exclaimed, "Hypnosis!" Noctowl turned and administered the strongest hypnosis attack he could muster. Jynx stopped in her tracks. "Get over here!" I yelled to my pokemon. He quickly hopped over seeing that I was holding a potion. "This is going to sting." I said, spraying him all over until the green and grey bottle was empty.

Noctowl snapped out his wings, hitting Pikachu in the process, and screeched loudly.

"Alright! Use fly!" I exclaimed. Noctowl beat his wings once and was high enough in the air that he rushed at the human shape pokemon right away.

"Hee-hee, Jynx-y pooh, icepunch!" Will said.

Jynx turned around and smiled at Noctowl before punching him in the face, knocking him out cold. Literally. In a 1-hit K.O. my fully healed Noctowl was defeated.

Gary whistled. I felt like punching his pretty face.

_No... wait... His _face_. His _face. I thought, shaking myself.

I grabbed a pokeball, "Go Typhlosion!" I yelled, going back to a habit I thought I dropped years ago in my anger. "Flamethrower!"

The fire on her back flared up, and she opened her jaws. A huge funnel of fire escaped from her jaws, so hot I could feel the heat from behind her.

A few seconds past before she snapped her jaws shut, spitting out smoke. It looked pretty badass, I have to admit. I looked around her, to see Jynx lying on the floor.

Will looked crushed, but none the less took out his Xatu's pokeball. He threw it in the air and Xatu stood before Typhlosion.

The volcano pokemon spit out a little fire before looking her opponent in the eyes.

_Why do all my pokemon develop attitude problems?_I thought, sighing internally.

"Protect~~" Will said. Xatu's eyes glowed pure white and then stopped.

"Fire blast!" I exclaimed. What Typhlosion did next reminded me of my favourite Nintendo game, Mario.

She sent fireballs flying at Xatu. Opening and closing her jaws allowed for the fireballs to hit at different times, wearing down the force field little by little until it broke.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, "Quick attack!"

Typhlosion looked back at me weird.

"Check your pokedex, hurry." Gary hissed from behind me. I pulled out my pokedex as fast as I could and trained it on Typhlosion. Looking at her stats I noticed that quick attack wasn't there, but another attack was in its place.

_Oh._I said shocked. Just as I was about to tell her to attack, I noticed she was writhing in pain.

_For Mew's sake, am I that slow?_I thought.

"Typhlosion! Work through the pain! I know you can do it!" I yelled, "Then use double edge!"

"Xatu! Double up on that attack now!" Will said putting on a Louisiana accent.

I sighed; he was getting kind of annoying.

Typhlosion opened her jaws and let loose a weak fire blast attack. I didn't expect it to do anything, but the mystic pokemon was unprepared; when the attack hit, she fell backwards, wings flapping.

Typhlosion got down on all fours and started running. As she ran, a silver aura started to appear, glowing faintly at first, but stronger the faster she ran. By the time she rammed into Xatu, the silver aura made the volcano pokemon look like a giant shooting star on land.

Xatu flew across the room, hitting the wall behind Will.

Gary whistled again. I didn't feel like punching him that time.

"I-I-I can't believe it... I lost... Even though I was defeated, I will not change my course! I will continue to battle until I stand above all other trainers! Now go! Ash Ketchum!" he said dramatically putting the back of his hand over his forehead as if he was going to faint, "Go and face the ferocity of the Elite 4!" and with that a Abra appeared and teleported him away.

I didn't do anything for a few seconds.

"Well..." I said, "That was dramatic."

"Yeah. Yeah it was," Gary said, affirming my thoughts.

"Let's get going then! Typhlosion, return. You did really good!" I said, putting her back in her pokeball and starting to heal her as Gary, Pikachu and I walked to the elevator. Where, just beyond, the last member of the Elite 4 waited for me.

_**After I reread this, I realized I made Bruno out to have the temper of a 9 year old, and Will to be a flamer... That's just how I pictured them in my mind... Don't judge!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Karen master of dark types!

_**This chapter is in Gary's POV**_

I watched Ash heal his pokemon as we rode the elevator to Ash's final challenge.

"Karen is going to be really tough, Ash. You need to be careful and think before you act." I said to the raven haired boy as he finished healing Typhlosion.

"I know Gary. I can't let my temper get the best of me." He said, putting the pokeball back on his belt and cracking his knuckles.

My eyes widened at his seriousness. "You really want to beat Lance, don't you?"

He didn't look back at me, "I do." he said, "I have to prove myself to you..." he said so quietly I almost didn't hear.

"What?" I asked, hoping he would explain.

"Nothing." He said, as the steel doors slid open. We stepped out onto the final battle field.

This room looked dark. Not dark as in evil, like one would imagine hell, but dark with a certain "good" to it. Jutting out of the tiles that looked like the night sky and walls that also looked like the night sky, white crystals clouded with black veins protruded, providing the room with light.

_Nice effect,_I thought, continuing to look around. A huge purple drape was on the ceiling, pinned in the middle to give the effect that the ceiling was shorter than it was. Blue lights lit up the way a platform that held one golden door.

Off to the side where Will's table was, was a giant white clouded crystal that gave off the most light. On the flattened top surface sat a woman dressed in a black lace gown.

"You are Ash? You beat my 3 colleagues? You beat all the gyms, and the regional pokemon leagues? Ha! How amusing!" she said. She jumped down from the top of the crystal, the train of her dress following. She landed with a _click_from her high heels hitting the ground. Flicking her grey fringe out of her eyes she looked back at Ash, "I am Karen, Dark-type master of the Elite 4. I am known for my overpowering tactics. You think you can defeat me Ash?"

"I know I can!" Ash exclaimed, taking his first pokeball off his belt.

I smiled at his determination.

"Just try to entertain me," She said, tossing her pokeball in the air.

Pikachu climbed on my shoulder to get a better view at the impending battle between Milotic and Umbreon.

"Pika! Pikachu!" He said, tapping on my head and pointing at the umbreon and then back to me.

I shook my head, "No that's not my Umbreon, she's not shiny." I said smiling at the electric mouse pokemon. He smiled back and redirected his attention to the battle. I did the same.

Umbreon was standing in an offensive pose, his ears perked up, eyes glowing white slightly tasting the environment. Milotic was coiled up like one would see an ekans, her tail scales fanned out, waving back and forth. Her eyes were trained on the moonlight pokemon.

"Let's go," Karen said, extending a hand. "Umbreon, double team!"

Umbreon moved toward Milotic and using it's psychic powers, created doubles of itself that circled around the tender pokemon

"Milotic..." Ash's pokemon hissed, her tail fanning out more.

"Use icebeam, Milotic!" Ash exclaimed, "Hit as many of them as you can!"

Milotic charged an icebeam, and opened her mouth as she spun in a circle. Some of the Umbreons managed to dodge, but she got the majority of them. She snapped her mouth shut when only 3 remained.

"Pitty," Karen said, "Use psychic." All of the Umbreon's eyes started to glow white as Milotic winced, the attack hitting her full force.

"That's okay Milotic! Backtrace the attack to figure out which Umbreon is the real one!"

I looked at Ash in shock, _When did he learn all of this?_I wondered, pulling a chocolate bar out of my pocket. I opened it up and gave a piece to Pikachu. He took it after licking my cheek as a form of thanks.

I looked back to Milotic, who was charging up an icebeam.

"Haha! It will never work! Umbreon has one of the strongest Psychic attacks in the regions." Karen said in a matter-of-factly voice.

Suddenly Milotic cried out, quickly turning to her left and let out the massively powerful icebeam.  
The other two Umbreon disappeared as the real one was tossed back. Milotic stopped the attacl, slumping over a little.

Karen _hmf'ed_, "Double team."

Umbreon got up and once again repeated his last attack.

"Mirrorcoat!" Ash exclaimed. Milotic stood straighter as her skin shimmered for a few seconds, and stopped. She shook out her tail.

"Use faint attack!" Karen yelled, her voice vibrating off the walls. All of the Umbreon's eyes glowed white. Suddenly the light drained from the room, and it was pitch black.

People on the stands gasped, someone screamed, and I heard Ash mutter "fuck" under his breath.

Suddenly the lights flooded back, making me cringe from the sudden change in lighting. I looked at Milotic. She was sprawled out on the ground.

"Ah hell!" Ash exclaimed, "Use recover!" Milotic's skin shimmered for a few seconds again, and soon she stood up again in a defensive pose.

"How about a psychic attack?" Karen mockingly suggested.

"Surf hurry!" Ash exclaimed. Milotic slithered in one quick circle, making a decent sized wave. She sent the attack at Umbreon just before Umbreon used psychic. Milotic winced in the brief pain before the wave overtook the moonlight pokemon. In anger Milotic slithered to Umbreon who was trying to stand up and swiped him, with a swish of her tail sending him flying back to Karen's feet.

"Payback!" Karen exclaimed. Umbreon got up and his eyes glowed white before a circle of white energy seemingly exploded from his slender form. It rushed at Milotic and exploded before it hit her, little shards of white energy dug into her smooth skin.

I watched Ash, the muscles in his back coiled, and I could see his mouth pull back into a smirk. "Icebeam." He said, his voice deadpan.

_Of course! If the last amount of damage done to the user before the use of Mirror Coat is greater than 0 and was dealt by a Special move, Mirror Coat will do twice as much damage as taken by that attack to the opponent. _I thought.

"Smart move Ashy-Boy." I approved, noticing that Karen called Umbreon back to it's pokeball. He turned and smiled at me. He noticed the candy bar in my hand and walked over to take a bite out of it. I looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked, his mouth full of chocolate, "I'm hungry!"  
I chuckled and ruffled his raven black hair. He scowled at me, eating the rest of the chocolate bar. I looked into his eyes and saw excitement. He turned back to the battle, where Karen was waiting, eating a muffin. _Where the fuck did she get a muffin from?_ I thought, looking around. _Oh well._

I watched Ash stretch out, cracking the tension from his joints. He put his hands behind his head and stretched back as if he was trying to do the bridge. His biceps flexed, and I could begin to see what seemed to be washboard abs through the tight-ish white tee-shirt.

_I expect it's from years of training and traveling. Still, I never imagined he would be so... built._ I thought then I realized what I just thought and shook myself. _I mean it's not like I think about Ash all the time... Well... as of recent I have. But that's besi- Why am I even explaining this to myself! _

I shook myself again and focused back on the battle. While I wasn't paying attention, Karen had sent out Houndoom.

The dark pokemon was standing victoriously over Milotic, having somehow overpowered the water type pokemon. I looked to Ash, his head was hung and his hands were in tight fists at his sides.

"I can't beat her Gary." He said, his deep voice at a whisper. "She has type advantage above all my remaining pokemon." I noticed he was shaking.

I walked up to him, "Not all of them." I said to him as Pikachu tugged on his jeans.

"Pika-pi." He said, climbing on his shoulder. "Pika! Pikachu!"

Ash looked at his partner pokemon. They stared at each other for a few moments, talking through an invisible bond. I watched as a smile spread slowly on their faces.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, landing on the ground letting out a thunderbolt attack that made the lights flicker at Houndoom.

The dark pokemon fell, his fur singeing and smoking slightly.

"Hmph! You think you can beat us that easily?" Karen scoffed, "Get up Houndoom!" Her pokemon got up slowly, Karen walked over and sprayed him with a green and grey bottle.

"Full restore..." I said, cursing Ash's luck. _Houndoom is going to be harder to beat with it at full health. But if Pikachu can win against Umbreon like he did yesterday, I believe he can win against Houndoom today!_I thought, filling with hope. I focused on back on the battle that was unfolding before my very eyes. Pikachu was running around dodging a flamethrower. I could feel the heat from the attack from here.

"Alright Pikachu! Use Iron tail!" Ash exclaimed. I could see his muscles coil under the fabric of his white tee-shirt, his hands flexed in his gloves, and he licked his pale pink lips as they pulled into a cocky half smile.

I tore my eyes from Ash back to the battle. Pikachu was still running from the flames, his tail glowing white. The mouse pokemon ran at Houndoom and jumped over the flamethrower attack, bringing his tail down squarely on the dark pokemon's head.

Houndoom let out a roar of rage. "Overheat!" Karen exclaimed. I could see heat waves radiating off Houndoom, Pikachu couldn't get away in time, and his tail was burnt.

_Now he can't use iron tail again. _I thought. _Ash and Pikachu have to wear down Houndoom and use volt tackle to finish him off._

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu turned on a dime and let go of another powerful thunderbolt, that left static crackling against Houndoom's fur. "Paralysis!"

"Houndoom! Crunch!" Karen said, Houndoom tried to move toward Pikachu but couldn't, "I said use crunch!" Again Houndoom didn't move.

Ash's smile widened, "Quick attack Pikachu! As many times as you can!" Pikachu smiled back at Ash and ran forward, gaining so much speed it was hard to keep up with the mouse pokemon. The only indicator that the attack was working was Houndoom jerking from side to side every few seconds. "Alright that's good! Volt tackle!"

Pikachu ran back to Ash, and faced Houndoom again. He started running, his cheeks crackling with electricity that was slowly enveloping his tiny body. I watched as he gained speed and more electricity surrounded his body. Soon his body was black and white, the only yellow was the electricity around his body.

Karen smirked, "Flamethrower." She said. Houndoom opened his jaws, and I could see the glow of fire rising from his belly.

"Faster Pikachu!" Ash yelled to his pokemon.

"Pi!" He said, and somehow started to move faster. Houndoom let the flames loose at Pikachu, but the yellow forcefield just moved the fire to the side as Pikachu moved straight toward the dark pokemon.

When Pikachu made contact, Houndoom whimpered as he slid across the ground. Pikachu stood where the dark pokemon stood not a few seconds ago, static crackling on and all around him.

"Yeah! Way to go Pikachu!" Ash said running onto the field to scoop up his pokemon in a crushing hug, ignoring the static. "You did so good! I'm so proud!"

"Well, aren't you good. I like that in a trainer," Karen said with a wink, but her expression turned serious quickly, "Strong pokemon... weak pokemon... That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with the pokemon they love best! I like your style Ash Ketchum, you understand what's important. You truly are a great trainer. Go on now- the champion is waiting." She turned to tend to her fallen pokemon.

I pushed Ash a little bit, "Let's go. Lance is just ahead." He nodded and still holding Pikachu, walked toward the golden door. Once there we scanned our passes, and the doors slid open, exposing another elevator. We stepped in and Ash started to heal Pikachu, giving him praise all the way.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a sweet poffin and handed it to the mouse pokemon, he accepted it with a squeak and started nibbling on it. I looked to Ash, he disposed of empty various medicine bottles in the rubbish bin that was in the corner, patted Pikachu on the head and moved onto healing the rest of his pokemon. I smiled at the raven haired boy. He was always a kind person, even when we were kids. A little bit on the sensitive side, yes, but as tough as nails when he needed to be.

I guess he noticed that I was staring into space thinking because he snapped his fingers in my face, "The door is open Gary." he said, "What's up with you? You're acting different today."

I smiled at him, "Just thinking. Are you ready?"

He smiled back, "I was born ready."

"Then let's go."

We stepped out of the elevator into a lavish hallway. Columns lined the walls, in between each one was a crimson banister with gold embroidery flowed to just above the cream coloured tiles on the floor. A matching crimson red carpet lead the way up the path lined his Dratini status to a raised platform where Lance stood in the middle of a red and blue pokeball. Giant golden gears protrude from the walls, moving like clock gears. Behind Lance was a blue door; however I didn't know where it lead to.

"I have been waiting for you Ashton Ketchum," Lance said, his deep voice booming in the large room, "Would you mind telling me why you are challenging me today?"

Ash stepped to his side of the field, "I'm here today because of a promise I made about 7 years ago, on the day I started my journey. I said I was going to become a pokemon master. It is what I have strived for since the day I got Pikachu. Today, I am proving to the people who doubted me and myself, that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to!" He exclaimed.

I remembered back to that day. The words rang in my head.

_Infact, I'm going to become a pokemon master!_

_Sure Ashy-boy. _I had said to him.

_Is that what has been driving him all this time?_I asked myself.

Lance smiled. "I knew with your skills, you would eventually reach me here. There is no need for words any longer. We will battle to determine who the stronger trainer of the two of us is. As the most powerful trainer in the 4 regions, and as the League Elite Champion... I, Lance the Dragon Master, accept your challenge!" He boomed, extracting a pokeball from his belt.

Ash did the same, "Let's do this!" He exclaimed.

They were about to send their pokemon out, when the roof caved in.

_**Since school is starting in a few days, I have decided to put my foot down and dedicate Fridays to uploading chapters of Retrieval! But as always, please remember to R&R! Toodles! **_


	10. Chapter 10: Meeting the boss

_**Here is the new chapter, safely delivered with a piece of cake and a mocha. As promised. Please enjoy!**_

_**This chapter is in Ash's POV.**_

"Let's do this!" I yelled, ready to put Pikachu out into the final battle that would complete my childhood dreams and ambitions. But I was stopped short when the roof above Gary, Lance, and I caved in.

"Ashton! Gary! Are you two alright?" Lance yelled from the other side of the room.

"I'm fine!" I yelled back, "Gary! Are you okay?"

"I'm good," He yelled back, "How is Pikachu?"

"He's fine. I got him. What was that?" I asked getting up.

"I have no idea, I'll have one of my Drag-" Lance started to say, but he was cut off.

Someone laughed, it was a deep, creepy laugh. "Stun spore."

What looked like yellow dust rained down on us and as soon as it touched my skin I couldn't move. Pikachu jumped out of my paralyzed arms and caught one of the spores in his paws. After he inspected it, he couldn't move either.

"Pi..." He whined.

"Fight it Pikachu!" I said as loud as I could.

"It's pointless to struggle." The voice said, "It took a while, a few hundred generations, to get this Carnivine. But it was worth it. He has the strongest and most accurate stun spore. You won't be able to move for the next few hours." He chuckled darkly, "Or until someone comes to heal you. Pidgeot, gust."

There was a huge gust of wind and the dust cleared, as did the rest of the spores. I looked as up as I could without being able to move my head. I could see the underside of 4 bird pokemon. The first one was a shiny pidgeot. The other three seemed to be regular fearow.

"Do you like my Pidgeot? Yes? I discovered him on a vacation to the Orange Islands. A young trainer caught him. A shiny pidgey with a young boy? I could not let the poor pokemon go to waste! So I took him." The man said.

"So what you mean is that you stole him from that boy!" Gary exclaimed. I shifted my eyes to the right to see him, he was stuck in a standing position like I was.

"If that is how wish to put it, so be it. But that's not the reason I'm here today." He said, stepping out from behind the giant bird. The man was probably about 6 feet tall, maybe just a tad bit shorter; he had slicked back, thick, black hair; his eyes were a soulless coal black, filled with hatred and malice. He was wearing black slacks, a matching black sweater with the Team Rocket insignia over his left breast, a blood red tie, and a white turtleneck.

_Turtlenecks are gross..._I thought.

"What is your purpose for being here, Giovanni?" Lance asked.

_Giovanni... Why does that sound so familiar?_

"Cut and dry as always. Well let me get to the point." He said, pulling a cigar out of his pant pocket, "These three have told me about the tremendous power of the boy's Pikachu, the other boy's rare shiny female Umbreon, and your Salamence, Lance. Isn't that right you three?"

"Haha! Yes!" said a familiar female voice.

"But of course! Hehe!" said a familiar male voice.

"Yea baws! These twee right here!" said another voice.

"Meowth!" I exclaimed.

"Whadda want twerp? We're kinda workin' here!" He said, jumping off his fearow's back. Jesse and James followed suit.

"I should have known you were behind this!" I yelled at the three.

"Carnivine, vine whip." Giovanni said, deadpan. My cheek stung as the green vine lashed across it, "Now keep your trap shut or else."

_They called him boss... That means-_I thought, but Gary's voice cut through my thoughts.

"So you're Giovanni, the head honcho of Team Rocket." Gary said.

"Yes I am. I know, I know. It's a pleasure to meet me, yaddah yaddah yaddah. But shut up before you get lashed too." Giovanni cleared his throat and straightened his tie, "Now, like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. I'm here for the three pokemon I mentioned prior. They will make amazing pieces to my collection."

"Collection?" I asked. I winced as a vine whipped my exposed arm.

"Yes, my collection. I like to collect rare and powerful pokemon. The pikachu will be the crowning jewel of my electric type collection, and the umbreon will be the crowning jewel of my dark type collection. And Lance's salamence... He's just going to be a fun toy to test my pokemon out on." Giovanni said. He moved closer to me and puffed cigar smoke in my face, "Jesse, James, get the pokemon I require." He puffed smoke in my face once more and walked over to Lance, where he said a few things I could not understand.

Meowth walked over to Pikachu and smirked. Pikachu growled and let out a little electricity. Meowth yelped and scurried over to me; he took Pikachu's pokeball off my belt (it was easy to identify because it had a lightning bolt sticker on it).

"I towld you we was goin' to win twerp. But you never listened!" Meowth laughed, putting Pikachu into his pokeball.

"No! Let him go!" I yelled, struggling against my paralysis.

"Carnivine," Giovanni said. Vines whipped my legs and arms over and over, only stopping when I cried out in pain.

"Got it baws!" Meowth said, holding up Pikachu's pokeball.

"Same here!" Jesse yelled.

"Ditto!" James yelled.

A dark smile spread on Giovanni's face. "Good. Put the Rocket stickers on them and put them in my bag. I want to leave." He said, putting Carnivine back in his pokeball and motioning for Pidgeot to go to him.

"No! Umbreon! Jesse give her back!" Gary yelled.

Jesse laughed her stupid high pitched laugh, her sickening pink hair not moving as she shook her head, "Not a chance twerp #2!"

"Giovanni! If you take our pokemon you will never hear the end of it!" Lance boomed.

"I'm the most powerful man in Kanto, what can you do?" Giovanni laughed, "Ready you three?"

"Ready boss!" Jesse, James, and Meowth said, mounting their bird pokemon.

"No! Pikachu! No no no! Get back here Giovanni! Give us our pokemon back!" I yelled, only now able to slightly move my fingers.

"Good bye all." Giovanni said coyly. Pidgeot beat his wings three times and was gone, with the other 3 Team Rocket in tow.

I struggled against the powerful stun spore, trying to reach Noctowl's pokeball. I knew that he could at least take Giovanni's bag. But it was no use, I was paralyzed and my best friend was being taken from me. I stopped struggling and my breathing became shallow and labored.

Someone burst in the door that was behind me. The door having been broken down made the dust and rubble on the floor billow up. I coughed, trying to dislodge some dust that made it's way down my airways.

"What happened?" a woman yelled.

"Karen? Is that you?" Gary yelled.

"Yes! Will and Koga are here too! What happened?" She asked.

"Xatu, use gust and get this stuff away from us all please." Will said, and in a few seconds the dust cleared. I could see Koga rummaging around in his bag for something.

"Giovanni came. He took our pokemon." Lance said, fighting back emotion.

"What? All of them?" Koga asked, not looking up from his bag.

"No. Ash's Pikachu, my Umbreon, and Lance's Salamence." Gary coughed out.

"Oh... Lance... I'm so sorry." Will said, he turned to me, "Ash, I understand that you and your pikachu were quite close." He patted my shoulder, "Koga! Have you found the blasted paralyze heal yet?"

"Don't rush me, William!" Koga yelled.

Will turned red, "I told you not to call me that! Honestly Koga, I know that you have seniority over me, but you could have a little more respe-"

"Enough you two! Now is not the time for this!" Karen snapped, "Will, call Officer Jenny. She will want to question these three. Koga hurry up with the paralyze heal, or the damage on their nervous systems will be really bad. You know this."

Koga and Will winced, "Yes ma'am." They said in unison. Will whipped out his cell phone, dialing a number faster than a deoxys in speed form. Koga found the three grey topped yellow bottles with a quiet huzzah, he threw one at Karen. She caught it without having to turn around.

He rushed over to me and started spraying me with one of the bottles.

"I thought that was just for pokemon." I said, deadpan.

He smiled at me, "Nope, works on people too." He finished spraying me, and started walking over to Gary, "You should be able to move in a few seconds."

"Thanks." I mumbled, stretching my arms out. I looked around, Karen was talking to Lance, Will was busy on the phone, and Koga was healing Gary. My breath hitched in my throat.

_Pikachu isn't here... What am I going to do?_I thought, my eyes filling with tears. I leaned against a nearby wall and slowly slid down until I was sitting on my butt with my knees drawn up to my chest. My thoughts kept wondering to what Giovanni would do to my pokemon; would he hurt him? Would he turn him into a statue like that one pokemon hunter did?

My chest grew tight and my breathing short and rapid. Tears started to fall down my cheeks in buckets, and soon I was sobbing.

I don't know how longs I was like that, but at some point Gary came over to me and sat next to me, his arm around my shoulders. I leaned onto him, the his scent starting to calm me down.

"It's okay Ash. Everything is going to be fine. Officer Jenny will get to the bottom of this. She'll get Pikachu and Umbreon back." He said. He lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes, "But you have to be strong, okay?" I nodded. Gary gave me a half-smile, "Good. Now Officer Jenny has some questions for you. Then we're going to a hotel for the night."

I nodded and got up, brushing dirt off my pants as I did. I walked over to Officer Jenny. She said she was sorry about my Pikachu, and she knew how close we were.

_How close we were? She's making it sound like he's dead..._I thought.

Nonetheless I answered all her questions. There were surprisingly a lot of them, ranging from who took my pokemon to the colour of his hair, from what direction he left in to if he did anything suspicious. Other than taking our pokemon that is. I answered them honestly.

"Thank you for your time Mr. Ketchum, you too Mr. Oak. I'll call you if we hear anything." Officer Jenny said. With a tip of her hat, she called her Growlithe to her side and was gone.

"Gary..." I said weakly, trying to get the emerald eyed teens' attention. Standing I walked over to him and tapped my finger on his shoulder.

He turned to look at me, "What is it?"

"Can we go to the hotel now? I feel like I'm going to collapse." I said.

Gary smiled, "Of course." He turned to Lance, Karen, Koga, and Will, "We'll keep you updated if we hear anything. Let's go Ash." Gary said, he waved at the four adults and put an arm around my shoulders. It was comforting.

We were teleported to Viridian by Will's Abra. We gave him a mild poffin before he teleported back to his trainer.

"Let's find an inn to stay at. Preferably one with two beds," Gary joked. I only nodded, "Hey, Ashy-boy, don't worry everything will be okay. We'll find them." He put an arm around my shoulders and steered me toward one of the inns. I didn't recognize the name.

"Hello Mr. Oak! Checking in?" a cheery-eyed bluenette said from behind the counter. She popped her gum, and smiled a perfectly straight, white toothy smile.

"Yes please, Danielle. If you would, a room with two beds." Gary said, sliding a platinum credit card across the counter.

Danielle popped her gum again and smiled, "Sure thing sugar." She said, taking the card and sliding it through the machine. She used the touch screen to book us a room and gave Gary his credit card and a room key, "Room 12. We'll have breakfast in the morning. Have a good stay!"

Gary smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Danielle." He turned back to me, "Let's go."

I walked with him down a blue walled hallway. The hotel wasn't a 5-star one, like the ones you see on allstar hotel shows. It was a quaint, family owned place. After looking around our room I decided I liked it. Our room had two twin sized beds, with fluffy pillows, and an extremely warm looking comforter. There was a flat screen tv in the livingroom area, as well as a nice couch, and a coffee table. In the kitchenette there was a mini fridge, a sink, and an oven. There was also what looked like a balcony, two closets, and closed door that lead to the bathroom. I threw my bag into the bathroom, staking my claim to the first shower.

I walked over to one of the beds and dropped down. I heard Gary ordering food from Total Ramen Domination. I hoped he got me spicy chicken. I took up the notepad and pen that was on the nightstand and wrote a note in my barely legible scrawl to Nurse Joy, basically asking her to heal my pokemon and that I would be by in the morning to collect them.

I walked out onto the balcony and released Noctowl from his pokeball, he looked at me cooing softly as I petted his head.

"Hey buddy," I said, giving him my belt of pokeballs that had the note attached, "Bring this to Nurse Joy and stay there. I'll come in the morning and get you." He took the belt in his mouth. I smiled weakly, "Get going. I'll see you soon." Noctowl cooed and took off with a beat of his strong wings. I sighed and walked back inside where Gary was sitting on the couch watching TV.

He looked and smiled at me, "Hey I ordered ramen, I got you spicy chicken, is that okay?" I nodded, "Good. Come and watch TV with me, Kanto's funniest home videos is on."

I stared at him, he turned back to the TV, laughing as a Rattata stumbled around drunkenly from eating a fermented pumpkin. I curled my hands into fists.

"How can you be so calm and collected while your partner pokemon is _missing_!" I exploded.

"Ash, calm down." Gary said. His calmness pissing me off even further.

"No! I can't even believe you! You don't know what Giovanni is doing to our pokemon! He could be killing them to be stuffed for all you know!" I bellowed. My nails dug into the palms of my hands.

"Ash..." Gary said, getting up.

"It's like you don't even care about her!" I yelled before he could finish his sentence.

Gary stopped, his eyes suddenly turning from caring to cold. He raised his hand and backhanded me. Stars were dancing in my vision, I tried blinking them away. I put a hand to my throbbing cheek, holding back tears.

"You think I don't care? I'm not freaking out or being sad because that's what Umbreon doesn't want. She wouldn't want me wallowing in sadness. She would want me to be calm and figure out how to get her back. Just like Pikachu would want you to be." he took a step closer, I scooted back against the wall. "You think I'm not worried? That I don't want to get my _best friend_back from that sadistic bastard? Well I do, Ash. I'm just not being a little bitch about it." He spat.

I got up as quickly as I could, my vision going black for a few seconds, as tears waterfalled down my cheeks. I scurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I looked in the vanity mirror and gasped, there was a huge red mark on my cheek from the bottom of my eye to my chin. It was angry and throbbing.

_That's going to be an ugly bruise..._I thought, wiping tears away with the back of my hand. I turned on the hot water and stripped down. Once the water was hot enough I got into the shower, and soon after sat in the fetal position and started crying as hot water softly rained down on me, washing dried blood from the various cuts that covered my body.

I don't know how long I was like that, but when I snapped back to reality the water was ice cold and my lips were turning blue. I shut the water off and got out of the shower slowly, wincing at the pain in my joints from sitting for so long. I sighed and dried off, pulling on a white tee shirt and some boxers. I went to brush my teeth, wincing once again as I saw the sickly looking purple bruise making an appearance on my cheek, and all the bruises and welts on my legs from the Carnivine.

I almost started crying again, but managed to pull myself together as I stuffed all my belongings in my rucksack. I slung it over my shoulder and walked out of the bathroom, the smell of chicken ramen assaulted my nose, making my stomach rumble. Gary looked up at me from his spot on the couch. His eyes traveled to my cheek, when he saw the bruise his eyes widened.

I threw my bag on a nearby chair and walked to my bed.

"The ramen is here." Gary said quietly. I heard him get off the couch. I nodded, pulling the covers back on the bed. I heard Gary take a few steps closer to me, "Ash... please talk to me... I'm sorry."

I said nothing to him, i just turned off the bedside table light and crawled into bed.

"Ash-"

"Don't talk to me Gary." I said coldly. I burrowed under the covers that were providing my body with the warmth that went missing in the cold water. Despite the warm covers I shivered.

For a few minutes there was no noise but the TV, some game show was on. But soon the TV was turned off, and the bathroom door closed.

I laid in the small bed, unable to sleep due to the horrible thoughts flying through my mind, and the scene of Gary backing handing me replaying in my head over and over again. I cringed every time I heard the noise his hand made when it connected with my cheek.

_I wish I had some ice_, I thought as my bruised throbbed. But the only ice was in the freezer, and that meant I would have to get up. If I did that I would risk being seen and facing Gary, that was something I didn't want to do.

A click interrupted my mental rambling. I saw Gary's shadow in the light from the bathroom and I pretended to be asleep. The smell of mint rolled out of the bathroom on the steam from the shower. He walked to the mini fridge and opened it, it closed after a few seconds, and I could hear Gary quietly making his way to the other bed in the room. The covers pulled back, he slipped in, and they went back up.

"I'm sorry, Ash." Gary whispered so softly, I might have just heard it.

I feigned a snore, and heard Gary sigh and roll over. A few minutes passed and he started snoring.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was about 1:25 in the morning. Gary had been asleep for a few hours now, and I figured it would be safe to get up. So I dragged myself from the warm blankets into the chilly room, quickly grabbing my rucksack I tip toed into the bathroom, the door making a soft click when I closed it.

I looked at my cheek and almost screamed, the red marks on my face were now angry purple and _extremely _noticeable; the ones on the rest of my body fared no better.

_Jeans and a sweater._ I thought, _At least they'll hide my legs... I can't do anything about my face._

Sighing I pulled on my clean pair of jeans and a black sweater. I brushed my teeth again and put on my shoes. I did a once over of the bathroom to make sure I left nothing behind, then slipped out quietly. I left the door slightly ajar so I could see where I was going, enough light filtered through so that I could see the outlines of the different objects in the room.

I nimbly made my way across the room to the balcony. Quickly unlocking the door and sliding it open, I shimmied out, opening the door as little as possible. Before letting the curtain go I looked back at Gary, his brunette hair sticking up in every which way. I sighed and let the heavy curtain fall behind me as I closed the sliding glass door.

Turning around I whistled twice, and in a few seconds Noctowl appeared. I smiled at him, "Hey, Nurse Joy sent you after all." He cooed, "Help me get down. Then I can walk the rest of the way." I told him, he flew behind me and gripped the strap of my rucksack in his talons. I climbed on the banister so it would be easier for him to take off. Once he had me safely on the ground he let go of my rucksack and started hopping beside me.

We walked for about five minutes until we reached the pokemon center. Once inside I was greeted by cries of joy from my pokemon. Typhlosion and Togekiss snuggled up as close to me as they could; Shiftry and Milotic were waiting for their turn for attention; Noctowl was off to the side eating some pokemon food. Milotic slithered over to me and brushed Togekiss and Typhlosion out of the way gently with her tail. Bringing her tail to my face she gently brushed my cheeks.

"Tic?" She said, a question. I could see the concern in her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." I said smiling. I gave my team the attention they wanted and then went to the phone that was in the commons room. My fingers shook as I dialed the number.

"Hello?" said a groggy female voice.

"M-misty?" I said, my voice breaking.

"Ash?" She said, her voice more attentive now. I heard a light switch flick, "Is that you? What's wrong?"

I swallowed, "C-can I spend a few days with you?"

"Yeah yeah, of course! You don't have to ask. Want me to send my sister's tropius to get you?"

"No. I can ride Rapidash there. I'll see you in the morning." I said.

"You're going to ride through the night? Are you sure that's smart?"

I smiled slightly, "When have you ever known me to make a smart decision?"

Misty giggled, "Good point! I'll see you soon then. Be careful!"

I hung up the phone and walked over to the PC. Going into my box named "Fire", I clicked on Rapidash's sprite. Her pokeball appeared in the transport tube next to the PC. I grabbed it, put the rest of my team back in their pokeballs, left a note for Nurse Joy, and walked to the stables.

I let Rapidash out of her pokeball once in the stables, she whinnied happily and trotted over to me.

"Hey girl, ready to go out?" I asked, putting a fire resistant saddle on her, "We have to go all the way to Cerulean City." I gave her a spicey poffin before climbing onto her back. "You up for it?"

She neighed again, rearing on her hind legs. I barely had time to grab a hold of the reins, but she soon got back on her front legs and bolted from the stables. We were on our way to Cerulean.

I looked back at the outline of Viridian that was growing smaller by the second, and sighed.

_**Remember to R&R! 3 Lili**_


	11. Chapter 11: Where did you go?

_**Oh my goodness. Hey everyone! I'm sorry I didn't update last week. I started school and was immediately swamped with homework :C I didn't even finish this chapter until wednesday! But it is here now, so please enjoy. Remember to R&R. And please do review! I want to know what everyone thinks! See you next week! ~lili**_

Strong sunlight filtered through the thin curtains that hung over the window next to my bed. I grumbled slightly, hating mornings more than anything in the world. I dug my face into the blankets, whipping off any drool that appeared on my face overnight.

"Ash, can you put on a pot of coffee?" I said as loudly as my dry throat would allow me to. When I received no reply I said it a little louder, figuring he didn't hear me. Still no reply.

I poked my head up from the covers to look over at his bed, it was empty. But the bathroom door was slightly ajar and the light was on. I figured he was using the bathroom so I got up and started the coffee myself.

Once it was done I made a cup of black coffee for myself and left a clean mug out for Ash once he got out of the bathroom, and put on the TV. The news was covering what happened yesterday at the Elite 4.

"_Officer Jenny has not released the names of the other two trainers who had their pokemon taken by the infamous crime syndicate, Team Rocket, but as of now we know that Champion Lance has had his Salamence taken from him._" The reporter said. She was standing outside the Elite 4 building, it was taped off with a huge sign that apologized for the Elite 4 not taking challengers until the building was rebuilt.

The reporter continued on, "_If you have any leads to the whereabouts of Team Rocket please contact Officer Jenny at-_" I changed the channel, not needing to hear the number. My thoughts wandered over to Umbreon, and I immediately became depressed. I looked down at my coffee. Even simple things like making coffee weren't the same without her.

_Stop it Gary. She wouldn't want you to be sad_. I told myself, _Keep your chin up, you'll find her soon enough_. I thought, ruffling my messy hair. I looked at the bathroom, wishing Ash would hurry up so I could take another shower to get my hair under control.

I waited for a few more minutes, but when the raven haired boy didn't emerge after 10 minutes I got fed up and banged on the door. I forgot it was open and it opened completely. I looked away blushing.

"A-Ash I'm sorry! You're just taking so long and I need to take a shower," I said, still looking away.

When Ash didn't say anything I turned and looked into the empty bathroom. "Huh?" I walked over to Ash's bed and threw back the covers. Empty. I went to the balcony, and found that the door was unlocked. But the balcony, like everywhere else that I had looked, was empty.

"What the fuck? Ash!" I yelled back into the empty room. "Where are you?"

I looked around for anything that belonged to Ash, and found nothing. His rucksack, his shoes, and his jacket were all missing.

"Ah hell!" I exclaimed rushing to my bedside table to take up my pokegear. But when I tried to turn it on the low battery notice popped up and it went dead. "Oh for fuck's sake! Are you serious?" I threw on a pair of jeans and a purple shirt, not bothering to put shoes on I ran down a flight of stairs and to the front desk where Danielle's sister Cassandra was sitting.

"Gare-bear! Honey I haven't seen you in a few months, hows the research going?" the pink haired female exclaimed, looking up from painting her nails a sickening pink colour.

"It-it's going good." I gasped, trying to get my breath back, "Cassandra, have you seen a black haired teen come through here? He was wearing blue jeans, green fingerless gloves, and a green tee shirt. He's about ye-high." I raised my hand to just above my chin.

Cassandra put her finger on her chin in thought. "Oh yeah! I saw him, I sure did!" She said happily.

"When? Where?" I asked, frantic.

She held up her hands. "This morning, around 2. He was on his way to the pokemon center. What's he to you?"

I turned around headed back to the room, "An idiot." I mumbled.

"Wha?" Cassandra called to me, as I ran back down the hall and up the stairs.

I burst into the room and tripped over my own two feet, landing on the floor with a loud _oof_. I pushed myself off the floor, almost tripping over my feet once again but righting myself at the last moment.

"Shoes, I need shoes." I said to myself starting to pull on my sneakers. "Wait... I need socks. Socks first. Then shoes." Finally dressing myself correctly, I threw my pokegear on the charger, and grabbed my pokeball belt from a chair and bolted from the room. Closing the door behind me.

I ran down the stairs two at a time, and ran down the hallway to the front desk. "Cassandra, I'm leaving for a bit but I will be coming back, so don't rent out my room while I'm gone. That joke isn't funny anymore." I told the pinkette just before running through the front door and toward the pokemon center. I heard Cassandra giggle.

_Crazy ass woman_. I thought. My lungs and legs were burning from running so much. I haven't run this much in a very long time.

It took me a few minutes to get to the pokemon center. I slowed down, hoping that Ash would be staying at one of the rooms there.

"Oh! Mr. Oak, welcome. How can I help you today?" Nurse Joy said cheerfully.

"Ash. Ash, have you seen him?" I gasped, leaning against the counter for support.

Nurse Joy frowned deeply, a crease forming in between her eyebrows. "He came to get his pokemon. Didn't he tell you?"

I shook my head, "He.. he left? Where?"

"I don't know Gary. He took Rapidash out of the P.C., and left. I figure he either has to go a long way or a short distance really fast." Her brow furrowed more, "Why didn't he tell you?"

My mind went blank, as if someone took an eraser to the chalkboard that is my mind. I heard Nurse Joy trying to get my attention, though her voice seemed like it was a thousand miles away. I stared at a speck on the counter, and thought nothing.

Nothing.

The something hit me in the face. Once. Twice. I was shaken (more like slapped) from my daze. I took a disoriented step back, and blinked hard. When my vision became clear I looked at was once just a pink blur.

"Chan...Chansey." Said the egg pokemon. She backed away from me and ran behind the counter with one worried looking Nurse Joy.

"Gary? Did something happen between you and Ash?" She inquired.

"N-no... I don't thin-" I flashed back to last night, back to when I slapped Ash; I remembered thinking I saw the beginnings of a hand shaped bruise on his cheek. My heart stopped.

_Did I really hit him that hard?_I asked myself. I ran a hand through my still messy brunette hair, realizing that my losing control of my emotions may have pushed Ash's stress level past what he could handle, pushing him over the edge. He didn't even eat his ramen last night.

I hoped to Arceus he didn't do something stupid. He always does something stupid when he's upset.

"Chansey, wake-up slap again please." Nurse Joy said. The short, pink, and plump pokemon walked around the counter again and straight up to me.

I backed up with my hands in the air, when the pokemon waddled back around the counter I put them down.

"Gary-" Nurse Joy started but I cut her off by starting to sprint toward the door.

"I'm sorry Nurse Joy! I gotta go! Please call if you hear from Ash!" I yelled to her just as the door closed.

I ran back to the hotel and up to the room, not bothering to say hi to Cassandra when I passed. Once in the room I dived onto the bed to grab my Pokegear from the charger. It wasn't even charged halfway. Ignoring that I turned it on anyway, the little screen lighting up with a cheerful welcoming tone.

I waited for it to get service, and once it did one message popped up. Not checking who it was I pressed "Read" in high hopes that it would be Ash saying he just went to go get us something to eat. But it wasn't. In fact it wasn't even important, it was a message from the Poketech company thanking me for buying and using their product.

Frustrated, I dialed Ash's number (that took me several tries, which made me even more frustrated). It rang, and rang... and rang.. and rang. Then a robotic female voice came up, "_Sorry, the user has not set up their voicemail, please call back and try again later_."

I clicked hang up, and dropped the pokegear on the bed. I covered my face with my hands.

_Why, why would he do this?_I asked myself, regretting hitting him last night. I'm such a jackass. I... I have to get a message to him somehow.

I picked up the pokegear again and sent him a message, explaining how sorry I was and how I need to talk to him. (I did this many more times over the course of a few hours.) I then got dressed and packed all my stuff up, leaving the uneaten ramen bentos in the mini fridge. I hastily did my hair before leaving the empty room full of regret behind.

When I arrived at the front desk the third and final sister of the family was sitting there. Kiki, being the youngest, was also the least obnoxious of the trio. With her strawberry-blonde hair, and pale yellowish eyes, the only thing remotely annoying about her was her social awkwardness.

"Hey Kiki." I said, pulling out my wallet, "I need to check out."

She nodded and took the card I was holding out. I gave her a small smile, which she returned by looking at me with big owlish eyes.

She was putting information in the computer when another girl bursted through the door. Crying she ran into Kiki's waiting open arms. I stood shell shocked.

"What's wrong, Dara?" Kiki said. Her voice was light and angelic.

The crying brunette sniffed loudly before answering, "T-t-they t-t-t-took Skitty from m-m-me!" She sobbed. She held out her arm, "A-and cut my arm!"

Kiki's usually soft features turned hard and stone-like. When she spoke, her voice was cold, "Who, Dara. Who did this to you." She said, not a question, but commanding to know.

Dara sobbed more, sobs wracking her tiny frame, "T-Team Rocket."

My eyes went wide. _So they were here too? Taking pokemon from innocent people?_

Kiki went under the counter and retrieved a first-aid kit, and started treating Dara's cut. "You're going to need stitches. I'll take you. Let me call my sister first." She told the tiny brunette softly. She got the phone and pressed a few numbers, "Cassandra, y Danielle. Necesito uno de ustedes a trabajar la recepción. Tengo que llevar a mi novia al hospital... Si.. No. Hmph... Ciao."

She grabbed a pokeball from her bag and released the pokemon inside it once she was outside of the building. Mamoswine kneeled down as I helped Kiki put her girlfriend on his back.

Once Dara was safely on, Kiki climbed up nimbly herself and looked down at me, "You and Ash can do something about this." She said before clicking her tongue at Mamoswine.

I stood in the doorway of the hotel as Kiki and her girlfriend rode the twin tusk pokemon to Viridian general hospital. I looked down at my pokegear, it read 12:34 pm. I sighed and pulled Skarmory's pokeball from my belt and let her out.

She skwaked a littled when she didn't see Umbreon or Ash. But I just smiled at her.

"Fly me home. Okay?" I said, all my energy gone from when I ran around like an idiot this morning.

She cooed sadly but lifted into the air, grabbing the handle on my rucksack as she did so. It took her a few tries, but soon we were sailing through the skies over Route One, back to my room in the lab.

_Ash... _I thought,_ where did you go?_


	12. Chapter 12: Catching up

_**Oh my Arceus! I'm really sorry guise ;w; I've been swamped with all this stupid highschool homework that prevents me from writing. Basically I will update whenever I can :/ But I will update nonetheless.! **_

"Wow... I haven't been to Cerulean City in a while..." I said as I steered Rapidash into the stables at the Cerulean City Pokemon Center. She neighed and slowed down. I jumped off her back and started unbuckling the saddle to put it with the others. Just as I put it up my pokegear rang, I hesitantly looked at it. If it was Gary I didn't want to answer; luckily for me it wasn't, it was Misty. I pressed answer.

"Hey." I said quietly.

"Hey! Are you in Cerulean yet?" The redhead asked me, her voice peppy.

"Yeah, I just got here. I'm at the pokemon center."

"So you made it here fine? No problems?" She asked with a hint of worry.

"Yeah, no problems at all." I said, returning Rapidash to her pokeball once she finished eating some pokefood that Nurse Joy always left out. "Why? Did something happen?"

She hesitated, I heard her open her mouth as if she were going to speak, only to close it again.

"Misty, what's happening?" I said, now worried myself.

"Ash... Team Rocket has been stealing more and more powerful and rare pokemon from their trainers... We gym leaders don't know what to do anymore."

I was silent for a minute, "I'm on my way to the gym."

"Okay! I'll see you in a bit Ash! I'll have something for you to eat when you get here!" The redhead said before hanging up.

I put my pokegear back on my hip, and walked from the stables. _The gym is only 10 minutes away from here. I can walk._ I thought.

* * *

"ASH!" Someone yelled. I turned around in time to see a flash of blonde hair almost tackle me to the floor. Luckily, I caught myself and managed to keep myself and the sqealing blonde from falling to the floor. "I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been?"

"Hi Daisy. I've been well, how are your shows going?" I asked her as we walked toward the entrance of the water theater that also doubled as the town's gym.

"They're going great! We've added new pokemon, a few new cast members, they're nowhere near as great as I am. But the pokemon are doing great! How's your quest of becoming a pokemon master coming?" she asked.

"Slow." I mumbled sticking my hands in my pockets. Daisy opened her mouth to say something, but I was saved by Misty running out after her Psyduck.

"STOP EATING THE EGGS!" she yelled, throwing something at the duck pokemon that was waddling away.

"Oh Misty~~~" Daisy purred.

"WHA-" She said turning toward us. When her eyes fell on me, she stopped yelling and ran over, "Ash! You're here!"

I looked her over as she ran toward me. She hadn't gotten any taller in the years we have been separated, in fact, it seemed as though she had gotten shorter; however, that might have just been from the growth spurt I went through in my journey in Hoenn. Her red hair was no longer in the single ponytail on the side of her head, but now was down and reached down to her shoulders. It looked like fire was surrounding her as she ran. Her familiar yellow belly shirt, red suspenders, and short jean shorts now replaced by a blue and white one piece swimsuit, and a cover up.

"Hey Misty." I said waving, walking toward her and away from her sister.

"I'm so glad you came to visi- What happened to your cheek." She said deadpan, then looked me over, "And your arms." She lifted up one of my pant legs, "And your legs. Ash, what happened?"

My eyebrow twitched as tears started welling up in my eyes, "I-I..." I choked out. I looked into Misty's eyes. Her jaw dropped.

"Ash..." She said softly. "Where's Pikachu?"

I looked down at the ground as I started trembling, tears falling from my eyes. "He's gone Misty."

"Daisy, post a notice that I won't be taking any challengers today." Misty said, she then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Come on Ash. Let's go inside." Her voice was soft and comforting. She lead me in through the gym, I could hear pokemon and people talking, probably getting ready for the next show. I didn't care though, not one bit.

We walked into the residential part of the building and into a decent sized kitchen. Misty sat me in a chair that was surprisingly comfortable and plush for something that sat in a kitchen.

"Ash... Tell me what happened." She said, sitting down next to me. She put something warm in my hands, I looked and saw hot chocolate with multicoloured miniature marshmallows. I put it to my lips and took a sip; it was not too hot and had a kick of spice to it. I remembered Misty making this for me whenever I felt down while we traveled together.

"Please Ash, I'm worried. You showed up at my house, covered in bruises, and with your best friend not at your side. What's going on? I need to know." Misty said, gently stroking my raven hair.

I took a deep shuddering breath, "Have you heard on the news about what happened at the Elite 4 yet?"

"Yeah. All the gym trainers were warned to be alert. But wha- Oh Ash... Was that you? Is that you that they're talking about?"

I nodded and told her everything. From what Giovanni said and did to everything that happened back at the hotel.

"HE HIT YOU?!" She yelled when I finished talking. I just took small sips from my hot chocolate and listened to her rant and pace, her flip flops angrily hitting the linoleum floor. " I DON'T KNOW WHO THE_ FUCK_HE THINKS HE IS, BUT HE CAN'T GO AROUND SLAPPING YOU WHENEVER FEELS LIKE IT! EVEN IF HIS POKEMON GOT STOLEN TOO!"

"Misty... Please calm down. Please. I don't want you to be mad, that's not why I told you." I said when she plopped down next to me, almost foaming at the mouth. "I just need a place to stay until I can figure out how to get Pikachu back..." My voice cracked on the word pikachu, and Misty's expression softened.

"You can stay here. We have a guest room you can stay in." She said, pulling me in for an awkward side hug. I leaned in and put my head on her shoulder, some of her hair brushed into my face.

_Strawberries.._I thought, remembering they were her favourite food. I looked over at the stove, where a plate piled high with food was sitting. "I-is that for me?"

She turned to the stove, "Oh yeah! Yes, that's for you. Here," She got up and brought the plate over to me, "Eat up! I'm going to go get something, so sit tight." I looked up from the plate of food to catch a glimpse of firey red hair going around the corner.

I looked back at the plate of food and the varying types of food; there were strawberries, blueberries, mini chocolate chip muffins, scrambled eggs, and this odd squishy fruit that Misty would always eat, but it tasted really good. So I ate that first.

It was a good 25 minutes before Misty came back, I had finished my plate and went to town on another plate of muffins I found in the oven.

"Hey Misty," I said with a mouthful, "I hope you don't mind that I ate the rest of the muffins..."

She gave me a wave of her hand, "No problem, you traveled all night, I'm sure you're hungry." She said. I was a little weirded out by her abnormal niceness, but I let it pass. I looked down at her feet to see a blue and green pokemon hiding sheepishly behind her bare legs.

"Is that an Oddish?"I asked, finishing off the last muffin with a swig of orange juice. Misty nodded.

"Yep. Come on out from behind me! Ash isn't going to hurt you!" the weed pokemon came out from behind Misty and walked over to my outstretched hand.

"Hey little guy! It's nice to meet'cha. My name is Ash." I said, petting the pokemon in between it's front leaves.

"Oddish! Oddish!" It said, jumping up and down excitedly. It gently nibbled on my fingers, a sign of affection that the grass gym leader of Kanto, Erica, had taught me in my time with her. "Odd...ish." it crooned, rubbing its leaves against my hand.

"He's really energetic. Isn't he?" I said, laughing slightly.

"Yep, and he's got a special ability that can help you." Misty said. I looked up at her to see a smile the size of the city we were in. I opened my mouth to question what she meant, but I was cut off by her grabbing my hand and hauling me after her down the hall. "Come on Oddish!"

I winced, "Misty, I have a bruise on that wrist. It kinda hurts!" I whined.

"Oh shut up you big baby!" She giggled. We reached a small pool in a secluded part of the gym. Here I could smell no chlorine, or salt water. Misty shoved something material into my hands. "Go into the locker room and change, hurry up."

"M-misty? What's going on? I'm so confused." I said while she shoved me toward a changing room that was good for one person.

"Just do it! I'll be out here when you're finished. Hurry!" She said shutting the door.

I looked down at what was in my hands, it was swimming trunks. Oh hell. I quickly shed my clothes, folding them and placing them in a cubby on my left, and pulled the trunks on. They fit perfectly. I turned around to look at myself in the mirror. Dark circles, almost as dark as the bruise on my cheek, were under my dull brown eyes. The bruise from when Gary hit me ran from my the bottom of my jaw bone, to just under one of my bruised looking eyes on the left side. I looked at my chest and saw bruises from the powerful vine whip. They were on my arms, legs, torso, and my back. I winced at the sight but nevertheless, walked from the changing room outside to meet Misty and Oddish.

When she heard the door click, she looked up from playing with Oddish to look me up and down. When her eyes met every bruise, her gaze hardened and her jaw set. She just looked pissed off, and with that red hair, you would've thought she was the female human form of Giratina; Evil personified.

I cleared my throat, "Misty what are we even doing? Can I put my regular clothes back on?" I asked, trying to hide my bruises.

She shook her head, "Get in the water." She commanded. Shocked by the sense of authority in her voice I slowly got into the pool of water. I was surprised, it was shockingly warm.

"Okay... Now what?" I asked awkwardly, making small whirlpools in the water.

"Erica gave me this Oddish. I gave her one of my Horsea's offspring, and she gave me this Oddish." She said, looking down at the smiling weed pokemon. "For the longest time we didn't know what this little guy's purpose would be here at the gym. I mean, he is a grass type, and this is a water type gym. But, one day Violet's baby Seel got really badly hurt. We had it in here, since it liked freshwater more than salt. Oddish was curious so he hopped in the pool with her."

"Misty, what does this have to d-"

"Let me finish Ash." The redhead said, so I shut my mouth, "Anyway, for the past few weeks we have been trying to teach him moonlight. You know, the healing move? Well whenever he would use it, there would just be powder on his body. Well he used the move in the pool, and the pollen stuff spread in the water. The seel was healed. Completely."

My jaw dropped as I looked at the little Oddish in Misty's lap, it looked back and forth between me and the redhead. Seemingly knowing that he was the topic of interest.

"I think.. that it might work for you Ash. It might heal your bruises." She said quietly.

I pondered it for a moment, but only a moment passed before I nodded, "I'm willing to try anything. I want these gone." I said gesturing at my body.

Misty nodded, "Alright get in the middle of the pool and submerge your head, so he can heal the bruise on your cheek too." I nodded and moved to the center of the pool. Just as I started submerging I heard Misty say, "Alright Oddish, moonlight."

As soon as I was completely submerged my body started tingling. It wasn't unpleasant, it actually felt pretty good. I could feel it deep within my limbs, in my bones. I felt as though all the toxins in my body were being pushed out.

After a few seconds, Misty tapped the top of my head and I came out of the water. "Well?" She asked.

I turned around to face the redhead and Oddish. When I was fully turned around, Misty gasped and Oddish jumped up and down in her lap.

"What?" I looked down at my arms and torso and all my bruises were all gone, as were the ones on my legs. "Misty, is the one on my face gone?" She nodded. I walked over to her to pick up the pokemon on her lap.

"Oddish! Odd! Oddish!" The little weed pokemon said.

"Thank you!" I said, petting it's leaves. I looked at Misty. "Thank you, for everything."

"No problem Ash. You've helped me many times over the years. This is the least I can do to pay you back." She said dismissively. I walked over to the bench next to her and sat down. Oddish climbed over my shoulders to get out of the pool and waddle off somewhere. I watched it go.

After a few seconds, "So... How has life been on your new travels?" Misty asked, trying to make small talk.

"It's been pretty cool. I've caught many new pokemon, met some new people, and even some legendaries. Traveling in Hoenn and Sinnoh was pretty cool. Sinnoh is where I met Arceus." I said, remembering how with the help of Dialga Dawn, Brock, two other people, and himself had saved the God pokemon.

"That is so cool!" Misty exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know. But how is being a gym leader going?" I said, interested.

She pushed some hair out of her face, "Pretty damn good. I've barely let anyone pass me. Only a few have really beat me." She said proudly. "I've been working really hard, and according to the National Pokemon Gym Association, I'm ranked second best. Right after Cissy."

"Of the Orange League?" She nodded, "Wow. I know you can beat her." I said, smiling at my best friend.

"Thanks Ash! Now come on, let's get you settled in your room. Then you should probably take a shower and make sure all the healing stuff is off of you. We don't know if it has any side effects, but better safe than sorry." She said, getting out of the pool and handing me a towel.

I took the towel gratefully and followed Misty around the gym back to the housing part. I saw all pools where the battles and shows would take place, I even saw a new food stand. I asked Misty about it.

"Oh, people were complaining about not having stuff to eat when they were at the shows, or watching battles. So we had one installed. We have a few people come in on show days and make food. Finger foods and stuff like that. It's bringing in a pretty good sum of money." She said rounding the corner and opening a door. "Here it is. There's a shower in there, and I suspect you have soap and stuff?"

"Yeah, I always do." I said.

She smiled, "Such a change from when we traveled together. Brock and I were always getting you new soap." She giggled.

I blushed slightly and shoved her slightly. "Hey! I was younger then! I'm more... mature now."

"Haha! Sure thing Ash. Go take a shower. I'll talk to you in a bit. Come out to the main pool when you're done. I want to show you some of my new pokemon."

"Alrighty, see you in a bit." I said walking into the room and closing the door. I walked over to the bed and put down my bag to pull out a piece of paper with a pokegear number on it. I put it into my pokegear and pressed call.

After a few rings someone picked up, "Hello?" said a familiar female voice.

"Dawn? It's Ash. I need to ask a favour of you.**"**

**_You've read it, now review it! Reviews make me write more!_  
**


	13. Chapter 13: What an idiot

_**Wow! Long time no see. Sorry about the short and long overdue update! I've been working on school work. But now that I'm all caught up, I should be able to update more frequently. Anywhozle. I hope you like the chapter. Remember to R&R yada yada yada. You know the drill :D Love, Lili**_

_**This chapter is in Gary's POV**_

"I just don't know Blastoise. I haven't heard from him in weeks. Neither has Gramps or Delia. Where could he be?" I asked my pokemon as he swam us back to Pallet town from Cinnabar Island. I enjoyed going to Cinnabar Island every once in awhile when it got too cold in Pallet. And boy was it cold. Winter had rolled in way before it usually did, temperatures dropped by 20 degrees in two days. Cinnabar (luckily) was left unaffected, so I decided to take a weeks vacation from work.

"Blas." The shellfish pokemon said. Too bad I couldn't understand my pokemon like Ash could.

_Ash._.. I thought._ I haven't heard from him in weeks. Just over a month. I.. I know I screwed up pretty bad, more so than ever before, but do I really deserve this? This extremely long silent treatment?_I sighed and laid down on Blastoise's back to look up at the darkening sky. Even the sky wasn't happy with me.

It only took about an hour for us to get back to Pallet, and once we were there I regretted coming back. There was snow _everywhere_. Thick blankets of snow covered every possible surface. I groaned.

I took Blastoise's pokeball from my belt and put him back in. Quickly pulling another pokeball from my belt before I froze to death in my shorts, I summoned Arcanine. He growled a little when his paws melted the snow he landed on. I shrugged, "Make a path back to the lab however you deem fit. Just hurry. I'm freezing." Arcanine growled a little, unhappy that I was being so curt, but I smiled gently and bumped his shoulder. He licked my cheek and set about melting the menacing snow before us.

As we made our way to the lab I looked at the small town around me. It was eerily quiet and desolate. I couldn't even see a pidgey in the frozen leaves of the trees. Not a single person could be found outside their home; no child, no man, no woman. The only living beings that I could see were Arcanine and myself. Needless to say I was relieved to reach the lab. I quickly unlocked the door and stumbled in, kicking off my sandals and on the heat as Arcanine bounded past me and into the kitchen where he knew food would be.

Pulling on my robe I stumbled over a pile of books that were haphazardly stacked by the wall. After picking them up, grumbling about Gramps' organization flaws the whole time, I continued onto the kitchen. Where a much needed drink would be waiting. But before entering the tiny kitchen I released all my pokemon from their pokeballs. I watched at they all went about to their respective places in the huge lab. Except Skarmory who hobbled after me into the kitchen, probably to get water.

Ignoring the dishes in the sink (that I would normally freak out about) I opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of brandy and a crystal glass. Smiling at the bottle dreamily I walked to the breakfast nook and sat at the table, not hesitating to open the bottle when my butt hit the chair. I quickly poured, and drank my first glass.  
And my second.

And my third.

Fourth...

Fifth...

Sixth...

Halfway through my seventh glass Skarmory pecked my hand and looked at me angrily.

"What?" I said taking another sip. "I can't take the stress anymore!" I got up and stumbled around the kitchen drunkenly. Skarmory squawked and pecked at my thigh. I turned at glared at her unsuccessfully. "Leave me alone Skarmory! I- I can't deal anymore! I haven't heard from Ash in weeks. I'm worried sick! What if something happened to him? What if he went after Team Rocket alone? He *hic* would be fine with Pikachu, but guess what? *hic* Pikachu isn't there!"

I walked out into the living room, knocking over a coat rack on the way. It startled Arcanine who was laying by the fireplace, that he managed to light. I hiccuped again and sat down in an armchair across from the fireplace, bottle of brandy loosely gripped in one hand and the cup in the other.

"W-what if he's hurt? It would be all my fault. I *hic* pushed him over the edge, didn't I? I shouldn't-" I swallowed heavily, "I shouldn't have h-hit him. I just... lost my temper. I don't normally do that." I sniffed and wiped my nose on the sleeve of my robe. I glanced at the empty glass and through it into the fire place where it shattered and the fire flared higher. I watched the flames dance their deadly dance before taking a swig from the bottle.

I looked over at skarmory. I cringed, it hurt to see the disappointment in her black eyes. "D-don't look at me like that." I said, looking away as a single tear slid down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly and drank more from the near empty bottle in my hand.

Tilting my head back, I brushed brunette fringe from my eyes and praised the fact that Gramps was in Sinnoh for the week. Skarmory hobbled over to me and nuzzled my hand with her steely beak. I pulled my hand quickly away shocked by the sudden cold. But after realizing it was just Skarmory, started to pat her absentmindedly. Taking swigs from the ornate bottle in my hand every now and again. I brought it to my lips again only to find that it was empty.

_How ironic.._. I thought, tightening my grip on the slick glass that threatened to fall through my hands at any moment. _Just like me_.

In a burst of anger I hurled the empty brandy bottle into the fire place. The fragile glass broke and the fire flared higher when the fumes escaped the bottle. I laughed darkly and hauled myself from the chair and up to my orderly room.

Not even bothering to flick on the light, I stripped down to my underwear and crawled underneath the blankets to fall into a dreamless sleep.

~  
"Skar! Skarmory!" someone yelled in my ear. I dug my throbbing head into my pillows and pushed away a cold metallic face with my hand.

"Go away. I want to sleep." I said, my voice muffled by the voluptuous pillows surrounded me. Skarmory pecked the pillows onto the floor and cawed into my ear again. I sat up and gave her a death glare.

_Knock knock!_

_Oh.. That's why she woke me up_. I thought, dragging my hangover laiden ass from my bed and into the house. Every step made a sharp throb of pain from the base of my skull to just behind my eyes. I grabbed a water bottle from the coffee table as I walked to the front door. Fixing my messy brunette hair I opened the door, the blinding midday light clawing at my corneas.

Suddenly someone tackled me into a hug. Startled I cringed, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath... that scent was so familiar... It smelled like Ash.

"Ash?"I asked, holding the person at arms length. No, not Ash. "Ms. Ketchum? What's wrong?"

She wailed and clung onto me again, knocking the wind out of me. "I-i-it's Ash! G-Gary! It's Ash!"

I held her at arms length again, "Delia, Delia. You need to calm down. Okay?" I closed the door and sat her down on the nearby couch. I went to the kitchen and made some coffee. Good for a hangover, and emotional women. Quickly walking back to the obviously distraught woman sitting on my couch, I handed her a cup of coffee and set the sugar down on the table. A few seconds later Skarmory hopped over with the creamer. I smiled and nodded my appreciation.

I turned back to Delia, who was scooping unhealthy amounts of sugar into her cup. I shuddered slightly before speaking up, "Delia? Can you tell me what happened?"

She looked up from her mug, eyes dewy. "I was cleaning the kitchen... Mr. Mime dropped a bag of flour on accident and I figured I would give the poor dear a rest. But I was just about to start dinner when my phone rang." She sniffed slightly and took sips from her coffee. I waited patiently. "I picked up and all I could hear was wind. So naturally I asked who it was. I asked a few times mind you, and heard nothing. But just as I was about to hang up... I... I heard a s-strangled sound. I put the r-receiver back to my ear and said hello again." She stopped, knuckles white.

"Delia, what happened?"

"It's A-ash! He called, t-the signal was sketchy. But he's stranded on Mount S-Silver!" she got up, moving over to me and gripping my shoulders with a quickness that was inhuman. "Gary he's hurt and sick! I can't get to h-him myself. You have to go save him. Please Gary. He's my little boy..." she broke down into sobs again.

_Mount Silver... Is that where he's been this whole time? But why? Why was he climbing Mount Silver in the fall? He should know that's when the blizzards start! But he's sick and stranded... He could die.._. I thought becoming as stiff as a statue at the thought of Ash dying.

Standing up with a quickness, hangover long forgotten, I pulled Delia up and looked her in the eye. "Delia Ketchum, I promise you I will bring Ash back. I swear I will. But I need your help."

She nodded vigorously, "Anything. What do yo need?"

"Medicines, bandages, anything that could help me care for Ash." I said.

"Of course. I'll get you anything. Anything at all."

I pulled her in for a tight hug, "He's going to be fine, Delia. I'm going to bring him back, I promise." I said. Smiling slightly, "Then you can scold him for doing something so stupid."

She pulled away and wiped her eyes, "Oh you can bet I'm going to scold him." She grumbled making to leave, "He's never going to leave my house again is what's going to happen." she grumbled as she closed the door behind her.

Swallowing the rest of my lukewarm black coffee in one swig, I quickly cleaned up and made my way to the garage. It took me a few minutes to find my heavy duty hiking pack and all the things that belonged in it. Looking around I found another sleeping bag and grabbed it. _Ash will probably need this._I thought.

I walked around the garage and grabbed a few other things that would come in handy, like a rechargeable heating pad, with an electric type this would be no problem. I resolved to leave behind Glaceon and bring Jolteon.

Walking back into the house I could see Delia arranging a variation of items on the kitchen table, probably to explain to me what each one does.

She looked up and saw me, her expression hard and determined now. "I gave you some of the basics. Pain killers, sleeping pills," she obviously saw me quirk my eyebrow at that. "Ash is stubborn, and if he's set on doing something on that mountain, he won't come down. You might be forced to make him sleep on the trip down..." she continued on telling me about the different medicines. Some were for humans, some for pokemon. Some for me, some for Ash. When she was finished she pulled something out of her pocket. "Here. Take this." She put something into my hand.

I looked at the black object in my hand somewhat confused. Delia sighed and took it from me. She flipped it open and a flame sprung up. "It's a lighter!" I exclaimed, taking the magnificent object from her and opening and closing it. She nodded.

"Ash brought if for you from Sinnoh. He wanted to give it to you for your birthday... But he never got the chance..." She said.

I flicked it close and put it in my breast pocket. "Thank you Delia." I said hugging her again. I pulled away and grabbed my coat, and my bag. I checked my belt to make sure my pokeballs were all there. Arcanine, Jolteon, Skarmory, Mamoswine, Bulbasaur, and Alakazam. The six pokemon that would get me to Ash. I took Skarmory's ball off and let her out once we were outside. I turned to Delia and nodded.

She nodded back.

"Skarmory. Let's go." I said. The armor bird pokemon grabbed the handle on my backpack and with two beats of her powerful wings we were off the ground. I looked back at the lab to see Delia closing the door.

Looking back ahead I could see the daunting mountain not far off. I gulped._ I'm going to be fine. I've done this before_. I thought.

"Remember Skarmory, you can't fly me to the top, that's where the blizzards are the worst. You have to go to just where the blizzards begin and drop me off there." I reminded her.

"Skar!" she screeched, beating her wings faster.

I narrowed my eyes at the mountain. _Ash you better be okay_. I thought,_ Because when I find you? I'm going to kill you._


	14. Chapter 14: How I ended up here

_**Wow, long time no see! I'm trying to upload more... Especially this story. Remember to R&R, share with your friends, do what it is you do. And remember: I love you all. Till next time- Lili**_

"Pika-pi!"

I turned around, confused as to where the sound was coming from. Looking around frantically for my best friend. "Pikachu? Pikachu! Where are you!" I call out, still looking around. Where am I? I look around, I'm back at the pokemon league! "Was that all just a dream? D...Did I just imagine that happening?" I looked around again, just in time to see Pikachu jump toward me. I laughed, "Hey buddy!" I said picking him up.

"Pika! Pika-pi!" The little rodent said. I smiled and held him close to my chest.

I started to look around the field we were standing in. It was grassy, green, and hilly. It was nice."I had the most horrible dream... You... You got taken by Giovanni. Team Rocket's boss..." But I was cut off.

"That was no dream... It's real." someone said. I looked around confused. There was no one here but me and Pikachu.

"P-Pikachu? Did you hear that?" I asked, looking down. But my pokemon was no longer in my arms. I looked around frantically for my best friend, but my eyes landed on something much worse.

Giovanni.

I took a step back and realised Pikachu was sat to the left of the man, his cheeks sparking dangerously. Giovanni chuckled darkly, his coal black eyes glittering with malice.

"Did you honestly believe he would go back to you? After all.. you were holding him back from his true potential... Wasn't he pikachu?" Giovanni's cold voice said.

"Pika..." my pokemon agreed, powerful looking strings of electricity falling from his red cheeks and burning the grass around him.

I cringed and backed up more, fear making my chest clench. I shouldn't be afraid, Pikachu was my best friend. He would never hurt me, right? I looked up to Giovanni, looking into his cold, almost dead looking eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, anything to convince him to give me my pokemon, my best friend back.

But Giovanni lunged at me, grabbing ahold of my shoulders and shaking me like a rag doll. "You'll never get your Pikachu back boy! Never!" he yelled laughing maniacally.

"Let go! Let go of me now!" I yelled back. I attempted to break free, but I found myself unable. Soon he stopped laughing but he kept shaking my shoulders.

"Ash! Ash!" he yelled.

I shook my head and tried to pull away again. "Let go!" I whimpered. "Please let go of me!"

"Ash! Wake up it's just a dream!" a familiar voice said loudly.

I cracked open my heavy eyelids. A familiar blob of brunette hair was shaking me. I opened my eye further, blinking several times. "G-Gary?" I asked, my throat was dry and it was making my voice sound scratchy. As if I was an old man.

"Yeah Ashy-boy, it's me." he said, a relieved smile playing on his pale lips.

"Where... How...?" I began to say but my voice went dead then, and I strained to make anything above a strangled squeak.

Gary sighed and set me back down, my head resting in a pillow. "You're mum. She came to the lab a week ago, a frantic, snoting, blubbering, worried mess." he said looking away to take something out of his pack.

I simply looked at him puzzled. I had called mum to tell her that I was at Misty's gym when I first got there. I left a week later but didn't tell her.

Gary looked back at me. There were dark circles under his eyes and his normally spiked brunette hair lay limp and tired. He sighed. Why did he keep sighing?

"She said you called her, barely able to talk. With the sound of wind in the background. Said you were up on this bloody mountain..." he shook his head and glared at me, it looked like fire was burning in the pupils. "What the fuck was going through your mind when you did this Ash! What made you think you could climb this mountain alone!?"

I cringed at his words, remembrance of the last time he got this angry flashing through my mind. It obviously flashed through his too, because he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? I've just been worried sick about you since you took off all those weeks ago." he looked back at me, his eyes laden with what can be described as pure sadness. "Where did you go?"

I blinked, Gary was always good at changing his emotions, but I never knew he was this good. I coughed and sat up. I opened my mouth and closed it a few times, trying to talk, but no noise came out. How long had I been without drink? Or food? I motioned to my throat and shook my head. Gary nodded and reached behind him to grab something. He handed it to me with a small sheepish smile. I wondered vaguely why he was smiling like that, but I brushed it off and took the cup gratefully. I took a tentative sip, then another. It was mum's oran berry soup, one of my favourite things to eat when I was sick. Only she knew that.

"You really did talk to her... didn't you?" I asked with a small voice. Gary said nothing, but he simply nodded. I sighed and drank more until my throat started to feel better. When the life saving soup was gone, I gave the cup back to Gary and stared at the floor.

"So... are you going to tell me what you came up here for?" he asked, his eyes not meeting mine.

I nodded.

* * *

**A few weeks ago.**

I called Dawn to ask for help. She was surprised to hear from me, we hadn't talked since Pikachu and I left Sinnoh. She went through many of the things people do when they talked on the phone after a while, "How are you?" good. "How are your pokemon?" ...working hard like always. "Did you get my letter?" Yeah, I got it a few weeks ago. I was answering, but not really.

Noticing my aloofness, she finally asked what was wrong and what my favour I needed was.

I remember biting my lip, hesitant to tell her. But eventually after a little coaxing, I spilled everything. Excluding the part about Gary hitting me, I didn't need another angry woman on my hands. "I need you to contact your Uncle, Looker, and get him to tell you where Giovanni is. I need to get Pikachu back."

She had hesitated for a few seconds, I could hear tapping something, possibly clicking a pen. "I-I don't know Ash... It's pretty dangerous to go after the strongest man in all of the regions... Are... Are you sure you can do it?"

"I'm positive I can do it! Pikachu is my best friend! I won't let some.. some monster like Giovanni have him!" I said without any hesitation.

Dawn hesitated once again, clicking the pen. "F-fine. I guess I can try to reach him. I'll get back to you when I talked to him." she said a hasty good bye and hung up.

It took her a few days to respond. In those days I sat nervously in my room at Misty's gym, or I would help her and other trainer's train. Since I had so many different types of pokemon, it was good for them. I was there but I wasn't at the same time. My mind was on the pokegear in my pocket, wondering when Dawn would call back with the news.

When she did, about a week later, I couldn't press the answer button any quicker. "Well? What did he say?" I asked hurriedly.

I could almost hear her cheeks puff up and her face contort into anger. "Ashton Ketchum! I have been running myself ragged trying to get hold of Uncle Looker for you, and try to train my pokemon for the upcoming competition! And what do I get? Not a 'hello, Dawn, how are you today?' or 'thank you so much for working your ass off for me!'"

I cringed, "I'm sorry. I just... I've been on edge." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my shot nerves. "Thank you, Dawn. I really appriceate this."

She made a little '_hmph' _noise and sighed then, "You're welcome Ash, I would do the same thing if Piplup went missing. I got a hold of Uncle Looker, he said that Giovanni has been traced to Mt. Silver." she paused. "The top." she said a little quieter.

I felt my heart drop then. "Mount Silver? I can't... I can't do that! I..."

"What about Pikachu?" Dawn asked.

My brain stopped functioning and I focused on only that. _Pikachu would never give up on me. He would go after me. I.. I need to try. _"I owe you everything, Dawn."

"Damn straight you do." she said, then "I know you can do this Ash. Even without Pikachu, your will to get him back will push you to get him back."

"Thank you. I need to go now. I will call you when I get him back."

"I know you will. Good luck Ash!" she said before hanging up."

* * *

I looked back to Gary after telling him, I had went through a few cups of soup before my voice wasn't scratchy anymore. He looked at me, sadness weighing down his handsome features.

Wait, handsome features? No, just features.

"Did you even bring anything with you? Food? Clothes? Blankets? When I got here, there was nothing here, not even your pokemon." he asked quietly, fiddling with a loose thread on his jacket.

"I started out with stuff... but when I got to the top... Giovanni wasn't there. All there was, was a dead tree and snow. So much snow..." I shivered slightly. Gary still wouldn't look at me, why wouldn't he look at me?

"Where did all your stuff go? All your pokemon?" he inquired.

I scratched behind my head, "I got really disoriented on my down the mountain... I got tired and left all my stuff in caves as I stopped... more every time. I eventually sent Togekiss to the bottom of the mountain in fear of losing them too." I was slightly teary eyed when I looked up at him again. "I was so scared. It was cold and dark. I couldn't tell up from down... left from right. It was so cold, Togekiss and Typhlosion tried to help me, but I couldn't let them."

Gary nodded, "We need to get you off this mountain." he said, getting up.

"Gary." I said, trying to get his attention. But he wasn't listening and continued what he was doing. "Gary..." I said again, getting up myself. I wobbled a little and cringed as pain shot up my body. I yelped a little and staggered forward. I put my arms on his shoulders, and with what little strength I could muster, spun the _brunette_ around. "Gary, how did you find me?"

He looked at me then, for a brief half second. But he pulled away, taking my hands from his shoulders with a certain gentleness. "We can talk about it when we get back to Pallet. You need a hospital, Ash."

I felt anger surge up through me. He came all the way up the mountain in the winter to come and find me, but he wont even look at me? This wasn't settling right with me. "Oak! Why wont you look at me! Why won't you!"

He turned to look at me, his eyebrow twitched at my sudden out burst. His face contorted into a look of concern and desperation. "Let me explain when we get back home, okay?" he asked, pleading.

But I was too angry, too sad. I stomped my foot like a small child. "No! I want to know. _Now._" I demanded, my voice trembling almost as much as my limbs. I clenched my trembling hands into fists, attempting to hide the fact that I was shaking like a hairless Rattata. But it was no use, my whole body was shaking. I thought in anger, but it was otherwise. I began to get lightheaded. As I sat back down on the ground in the nest of blankets that Gary had wrapped me in, I shivered and half glared at him, "I refuse to leave until you tell me... how you found me."

Gary's eyebrows furrowed and he walked over to my side with two easy strides. He laid me down and pulled the blankets over me. "I... I guess I can tell you. But get comfortable. It's kinda a long story." he said, completely defeated.


	15. Chapter 15: I found you

**Hellooo everyone~ Sorry for the late update. Okay... it's super late, I know. And I'm super sorry about it. But i've been s caught up in school and my RPing I just have a hard time finding my muses for my stories anymore! But I promise you all another update this month to make up for th time I was gone. So please remember to R&R. Stay classy!**

"Alright Skarmory, time to put me down." I told her as we approached Mt. Silver. I looked up, or as up as I could get. The mountain was _huge._ It was daunting and beside it I felt like a bug, no, a grain of sand. How Ash had gotten to where he couldn't get down, I had no idea. I was just barely past the base and I wanted to turn back and go home. Skarmory placed me down in the snow and landed on a rock after blowing the snow off of it. She shivered and cawed worriedly. I trudged over to her. The snow was to my knees, I could feel the cold seeping in through my pants and jacket and I regretted not buying something warmer and just going with what Gramps had in the garage. I knew things would get warmer once Arcanine was out of his pokeball and I was on his back, it I was still bitterly cold now.

I removed the mask from around my mouth and smiled at her. She shivered and lifted her wings, showing me the ice beginning to form on her steel plated wings. I sighed. "Alright. It's up to Arcanine and my other pokemon now. You deserve a good rest." I took her pokeball from my belt and pet her on the red feathers under her wings. "Return." I said, and she was gone in a flash of red light.

I looked around and grabbed another pokeball, releasing Arcanine. He roared, fire blasting from his throat as he did so. He snapped his jaws shut, ending the torrent of fire, and looked at me. Sheer determination burned in the fire type's eyes and I was proud. "Come on." I said, quickly getting on his back. I could feel the heat radiating from his back and knew that he wasn't cold. _Good_. "Head up the mountain, half way, I have something for you to smell."

The fire type roared again, the heat from his jaws melting the snow in front of them. I felt him bunch up his muscles and jump into the air as if it was nothing. I thought it was amazing how much sheer power Arcanine had. I remembered how he was just a growlithe just a few years ago. Needless to say I was proud. I put my goggles on to keep the wind and snow from getting harmed. The cold whipped at my face, I was glad that had decided to put my hair snuggly in my hat. If I didn't, it would be everywhere and be tangled mess to brush out when I dragged Ash back home.

As Arcanine lept over chasms in the mountain and banks of snow, stopping only once or twice to take a breath and melt snow to drink, I thought of the raven haired male I was looking for. I wondered if he was even on this mountain. He could have headed back and made his way down. He could be anywhere on this mountain. Mt. Silver was huge, there were parts of it that never had been explored yet. Finding Ash here would be like finding a needle in a haystack. If anything, his hair would help me find him, unless he was in a cave, or buried in the snow.

_Or dead. _something whispered in the back of my mind. But I pushed it away and focused on the task at hand. I wondered how far we had traveled, certainly Arcanine was getting tired. I leaned down slightly and pressed my ear to his back. He wasn't even breathing hard yet, and it had been a good thirty minutes. _Hours of training... _ I deduced. Never once did I stop training, now I'm more relaxed, but back when Ash and I had that rivalry thing... I always trained super hard. Trying to beat him of course, but it never worked out in my favour.

I let Arcanine run up the mountain for another hour and then instructed him to find a cave. It wasn't easy, he had to melt several banks of snow to find a suitable one. One big enough to fit all of my pokemon and I. I read in one of Gramps' books that having a lot of fire types in small space would create enough heat to sleep in, and since I had only a sleeping bag. I needed all the head I could get.

Once we were in, I let out the remainder of my team. I was lucky to have friends. One of my friends in Hoenn, a collegiate professor teaching human physiology, sent me his mamoswine to aid me in my quest to save Ash.

I wanted to find him now. Not later, not tomorrow. _Now_. I felt like shit for what went on between us before he ran off... because of me. He really didn't deserve it. Yes, he was running his mouth a little bit. But he lost his partner, his best friend. Ash and Pikachu had been through so much in the years they were together, even if Pikachu didn't like the raven haired male at first. But should have never taken my anger out on Ash. It was horrible and childish of me. And for me to _hit_ him... I had a lot of apologizing to do.

Flareon jumped up and licked my cheek. I chuckled and pet her head, "Hey there girl... Missed me? I missed you a lot." I told her, sitting down in my sleeping bag. She yipped and jumped into my lap. The warmth of her body radiated through my jacket and pants. I smiled faintly as I pet her, taking comfort from the action; it was amazing how comforting it was.

Suddenly an eruption of growls sounded from my right, where the entrance of the cave lay. Flareon jumped from my lap and ran over to join the others. I followed suit, after pulling on my sweater. "Guys, out of the way let me-" I began, freezing mid sentence as I realised what was laying on the floor, shivering and freezing. "Togekiss!" I yelped, pushing through my pokemon and gathering the jubilee pokemon in my arms. Seeing that I cared for the pokemon, my own calmed down and went into a state of concern.

I walked toward the back of the cave and called Arcanine and Flareon, placing Ash's pokemon against the legendary and flame pokemon. I could see recognition dawning on Arcanine's face. He knew that this was the pokemon he won against in a battle a few weeks ago, and that he was important to my friend. He whimpered slightly, nosing Togekiss and turning up his body heat. I went to my bag and took out a freeze heal, spraying it on the pokemon as quickly as possible.

"Togekiss... Hey... It's me Gary. Do you remember me? I'm Ash's friend." I said, rubbing the pokemon's head gently. My eyes were wide and I didn't know if he was breathing, I prayed that he was, I knew how important his pokemon were to him. I furrowed my eyebrows in worry and shook him slightly, trying to get any kind of reaction out of the jubilee pokemon.

I was frightened and about to put the pokemon back into it's pokeball when he opened his eyes. Flareon jumped slightly as he began to try and move, but Arcanine stopped him by putting a heavy paw over him. Togekiss looked around, dazed. But when his eyes fell on me he squealed and shot up, away from Arcanine, and over to me landing in my lap and chattering at me faster than he could fly. I put a hand on his head, "Shh hey hey, calm down. What is it? Where's Ash?" I asked. I fully knew that I couldn't understand Ash's pokemon like he could, I swear Ash could actually understand them as if they were speaking plain English.

Togekiss looked up. "Further up the mountain?" I asked, he nodded. I looked to my pokemon worriedly. I knew that Togekiss didn't have enough energy to take me to the raven haired male, hell, he probably couldn't even make it the rest of the way down the mountain. "Well, you can't take me to him. You're too weak... I don't even know how I'm suppose to find him. This mountain is huge." I murmured, leaning against Arcanine for warmth and closing my eyes in thought.

The jubilee pokemon moved in my arms and my eyes lazily opened. When I saw a faint light, my eyes opened the rest of the way rather quickly and then to Ash's pokemon. His face was contorted in pain and frustration, and the shapes on his body were glowing. Slowly, he floated away from me and over to Arcanine, touching in between the legendary pokemon's eyes. It left a faint glow and then he fell to the ground, landing on Arcanine's paws with a _thump_. I rushed over to my bag and grabbed a full restore, using it in a matter of seconds.

I looked to my own pokemon, confused, only to see that his eyes were glowing slightly. "What is it?" I asked, at the same moment I realised that Togekiss endowed Arcanine with the ability to find Ash. I smiled gratefully at the sleeping pokemon, then quickly found his pokeball and put him in it. "You need your rest..." I said quietly, putting Ash's belt into my bag where it would be safe until I returned them to him.

Calling the rest of my team to me, other than Mamoswine who stayed at the opening of the cave. I grabbed my sleeping bag and got into it, Flareon jumping in with me. I smiled at her and laid my head on Arcanine's paw. "We'll find him tomorrow guys." I promised, sleep and exhaustion quickly taking over. "We will."

When I woke up in the morning the storm had subsided to just a gentle snowfall. I smiled and fed the pokemon around me. "I feel good about today. We're going to find Ash today, I know it." I said confidently as I put on all my gear. When they were all finished eating, I put everyone but Arcanine back into their pokeballs. I looked over at my pokemon and smiled. He growled confidently and walked to the opening of the cave.

I followed him, getting onto his back. "Alright... let's find Ash." I said, holding onto his thick fur as he jumped from the cave and started bounding up the mountain with a newfound hope, a newfound vigor. The wind whipped at my cheeks and eyes, but we were moving too fast for me to stop and put on my mask and goggles, so I just kept my face down to keep from getting a windburn.

But when Arcanine halted suddenly, growling and pacing unhappily, I looked up. And groaned.

Before us was a huge chasm. It had to be at least 200 feet across, and only Arceus knows how deep. With me on his back, I knew that Arcanine wouldn't be able to jump across. I was too much dead weight with all my stuff. Groaning again, I got off his back and put my pack on the ground. I walked cautiously to the edge and looked down. If we tried to jump, and didn't clear to the other side... We were screwed.

But luckily I came prepared.

I reached for my belt, pulling off two pokeballs and simultaneously throwing them into the air. Glaceon ran over to me, petting my outstretched hand, while Mamoswine merely stood in the background and waited for an order. "Alright guys, we need at least half a bridge to the other side, one that will hold Arcanine and I." I said. I pointed to the edge, waiting for Mamoswine to lumber over. "Now, icebeam!"

A blue light formed in Glaceon's mouth, and one in between Mamoswine's tusks. Little by little, the pair started building a thick bridge of ice. But even with the two of them, it would take some time. I called Arcanine over and began to take berries from my pack to give him more energy.

It couldn't have been more than 15 minutes when the first one appeared. A sneasle, just one, jumped from the chasm, slashing it's razor sharp claws at Glaceon. Luckily the eeveelution jumped out of the way in time, but she was powerless against it. "Arcanine! Flamethrower!" I commanded, pointing at the dual type. He growled and bounded over to it, opening his jaws, the flames already licking at his teeth jumped forward and easily defeated the other pokemon, who fell to the ground in defeat.

I sighed and commanded Glaceon to get back to work. But as soon as she did, more Sneasle jumped from the chasm and begun to attack the two pokemon under my command. I cursed under my breath and let out Gallade and Nidoking. I cast out my hand toward the pokemon that were attempting to stop my pokemon from building the bridge. "Go! Protect them until we can get across!" I commanded, watching as they took off. As always, Arcanine stood by my side, defeating any pokemon that got past my other two. I was watching Gallade and Nidoking battle when Glaceon nipped my hand, then motioned toward Mamoswine who was just finishing off the bridge. I nodded, my muscles tense as I put her back into her pokeball. I grabbed my other pokemon's pokeballs too then got on Arcanine's back.

"Alright! Let's go!" I yelled already recalling Mamoswine. Arcanine shot a torrent of fire at a sneasle who noticed that we were running, but he was easily subdued. As we ran past, I put my other two pokemon into their pokeballs, putting them into my pocket and grabbing a fist full of my pokemon's fur and leaning forward. The breath left my lungs as the dog pokemon dug his nails into the ice, bunched his muscles, and jumped.

I clenched my eyes shut, I wouldn't dare lie and say it wasn't scary. It was, I almost peed my pants. My fear spiked when I was met with the sensation of falling, my eyes snapped open and I looked up. Only to sigh in relief when the realisation that Arcanine was on solid ground dawned on me. From there it was just running, no troubles, no more attacks. The only thing that scared me from then on was when I found Ash.

"You were so cold... I thought you were dead. I couldn't get any response from you. I could barely even move your arms. I.. I thought I was too late." I muttered, looking up at him. My chest ached, knowing he was okay was what mattered. Certainly he would need to go to the doctors when we got back home. But I could take care of him for now.

He nodded and sat up. "We should be going." he said, standing up. He wobbled, and almost fell, but I caught him just in time, wrapping my arm around his waist. I looked down at him, his hair was such a mess, and it looked like he hadn't bathed in days. Yet I still thought he looked... _cute_. The light blush that settled on his cheeks only made him that much cuter.

I cleared my throat, staring into his eyes. "I'm sorry Ash. I shouldn't have reacted like... that. I should have kept my temper in check." he opened his mouth, probably to protest. But I put a hand over his mouth and shook my head. "No, I'm in the wrong. You can protest all you want, but I know I am." I set him on his own two feet and reached into my bag, grabbing heavy winter clothes and handing them to the flustered looking raven haired male behind me. "Put these on. Then we got to get doing. You need a doctor and the next two days are going to have the clearest weather on this stupid mountain." I said, beginning to walk toward the mouth of the cave, where Mamoswine was sitting waiting for Ash and I to be placed on his back. But before I could walk more than a few steps, a cold hand grabbed mine and whipped me around. Slender arms enveloped my torso, and a head rested on my chest.

"Thank you... Gary. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be alive." Ash murmured, his arms tightening around me.

It took me a moment to react, but soon I wrapped my arms around him and placed my cheek on the top of his head. 'No problem Ashy-boy. No problem." I replied, my voice low.

He moved, looking up at me. There was something in his eyes that I don't think I ever saw before. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, his lips slightly parted and chapped. He tilted his head to the side slightly and continued to look into my eyes. I didn't notice how close we were until I could feel his breath on my face. In that moment all I could think of was how stupid I was for hurting Ash. I would have never done that before. But... I was so stressed and... No. There is no excuse. I should have taken better care of holding my temper back. How could I ever hurt Ash? He was my best friend, my rival. I needed him in my life, and because of my temper I almost lost him for good.

I didn't even realise that we were slowly gravitating toward each other until Arcanine growled and batted at a Geodude. And that's when the connection, or whatever we had going on in between us broke and Ash jumped away, his face as red as Arcanine's fur.

"I-I'll hurry." he said quickly, turning away and beginning to put on the clothes.

I nodded and quickly walked over to Mamoswine, my face burning.


End file.
